BTG Rejected
by karinarios
Summary: An alternate retelling of Bridging the Gap.
1. Prologue

**Ultra A/N:**

This is an alternate retelling of _Bridging the Gap. _It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.

**Bridging the Gap**

by Beaple Leone Michaelmas

**Summary: **

Four years after a messy breakup, Tsukimori Len and Hino Kahoko are living separate lives. _He_'s an international superstar in the classical music scene; _she_'s the current darling of the Japanese media. By mutual consent, they've agreed to stay out of each other's business, and the deal carries on splendidly until Sawajiri Erika comes along. Childish and narrow-minded, but altogether impossible to like, she hatches a crazy plan that ends up turning Len and Kahoko's otherwise normal lives completely and irrevocably upside down. Warning: Insanity Inside.

**Prologue: Competition Incoming**

**A/N: **

Hajimemashite! Thank you for taking the time to read my first fanfic. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. It's been a while.

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own _La Corda d'Oro_; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.

**Prologue: Competition Incoming**

Looking through the wall-high fiber glass windows of her penthouse suite, Sawajiri Erika gazed at the blinking city lights of Tokyo. Everywhere she looked, there was color: blurs of a myriad different tints and hues trying to outwinkle and outshine each other. They raced before her line of vision, putting her under a trance, until she realized that for a moment she had stopped breathing.

Sighing deeply, she pressed her forehead against the window, and wondered once again if she was truly doing the right thing.

"Erika-ojousama," a voice spoke from behind her. Straightening up, Erika saw who it was and put a hand up to steady her frenzied heartbeat.

"Naoto-san, you scared me," she muttered sheepishly. "It's not good to sneak up on people, you know?"

"My apologies," Naoto-san said with a slight bow. "I have only come to inform you that Nadeshiko-sama has heard that you're in town. She wishes to see you as soon as possible."

"Oh, Obaasama can wait," Erika said, turning her attention back to the city lights. "I thought I'd made it clear that everything can wait until after tomorrow?"

"Yes, Ojousama, but –"

"No buts, Naoto-san," Erika interrupted, wagging a warning finger. "I'm here for a very special mission, right? I can't get sidetracked by anything right now…"

Naoto-san stared.

"As you wish," he said, retreating with another bow.

"Wait!" Erika cried out suddenly, gliding past furniture to get across the room. Standing in front of Naoto-san, she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "Everything's ready for tomorrow, then?"

The corners of Naoto-san's mouth twitched.

"Yes, Ojousama," Naoto-san assured her. "I have spoken with the head of our guards, and we have gone through the plan together. There is no need to worry."

"Well!" Erika said, grinning widely. "Good night then, Naoto-san. I'll see you at ten tomorrow."

With yet another bow, Naoto-san left the room, the door clicking loudly in his wake.

Alone in her spacious, dark hotel room, Erika perched on the arm of a soft beige couch, hugged a plump pillow, and stared at the coffee table in front of her, bare except for a photo. It was that of a pretty woman in her early twenties, with shoulder-length, dark red tresses and rich brown eyes. The snapshot had caught her lounging in an open terrace café, a steaming cup in one hand, a small smile tugging at her lips.

_Hino Kahoko_. Erika stared at the woman in the picture, lost in thought. She didn't think it would be this easy to find her. After six months, tomorrow…

Her heart suddenly racing, Erika threw herself on the couch, sending pillows flying everywhere. She closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep despite knowing she probably wouldn't be able to. She was anxious and excited and scared and elated and-!

She clamped her eyes shut and willed herself to sleep.

**A/N: **Ahaha. That was nuts. It was a much darker scene in my head, but I guess with Erika, nothing's dark.


	2. Chapter 1

**Ultra A/N:**

This is an alternate retelling of _Bridging the Gap. _It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.

**Chapter 1: Alien Abduction**

**A/N: **

To be honest, I'm piecing the plot along the way. When I started writing, I didn't have a plot, or a decent cast, for that matter. I just wanted to write, I guess. And now I can't stop writing! I think I've even written too much!

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own _La Corda d'Oro_; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.

**Chapter 1: Alien Abduction**

"Tell us, Hino-san. Is it true you're dating actor-model Hihara Kazuki?"

Hino Kahoko violently jerked back from her trance, instantly blushing scarlet to match her artfully brushed hair.

"Anou… i-iie," Kahoko began, her voice cracking under the strain of answering such an unanticipated question. "Kazuki and I are just friends-"

"And yet you call him Kazuki?"

"Well, we have known each other since high school-"

"Still," Fuji Miki interrupted, her face serious, "it doesn't explain the pictures of you two that have been gracing tabloids these past few weeks. In fact," she added, distracted by something at the corner of her eye, "we have Hihara Kazuki-san right here on the set today. Please wave for your fans, Hihara-san."

The focus shifted from the two ladies who were seated around a makeshift living room towards the backstage, where a man with a mop of green hair tucked under a baseball cap was waving at the camera, his face tomato-red, his expression torn between embarrassment and glee. Several of the young women around him began giggling madly, prompting one of the male stage crew to nudge Hihara by the elbow. This caused him to grin ever wider, and he scratched the back of his cap sheepishly as he bowed apologetically to someone on stage.

"Can you explain then, Hino-san," the host began to speak again, "why Hihara Kazuki-san is here at this very moment if there's truly nothing going on between the two of you? Why," and here she paused for dramatic effect, her brows furrowed, "would he go so far as to accompany you to an interview, given his surely busy schedule?"

Hino Kahoko froze, her complexion losing color alarmingly fast. "That's because-" 

"Mou! Why are you watching that? Turn it off, turn it off!"

Kahoko snatched the remote control from Nao and turned the overhead plasma TV off.

"Kaho-chan~"

"Kaho! What do you think you're doing?"

"You really think I want to watch me _embarrass myself_ on national television?" Kahoko sighed, collapsing onto one of the stools near the bar. "Going through the shame once is enough, I promise you."

"But now we won't know what happened next, Kaho-chan," Mio complained, pouting.

"Yeah," Nao added. "You may know what happened, but we don't. What did you say anyway, right after she asked that question?"

Kahoko blushed.

"I told her the truth," she replied as nonchalantly as she could. "I told her that Kazuki and I know each other from way back in high school, during the concours, when we were both participants-"

"Yeah, yeah, we know. We went to school with you two, remember?"

"-and that Kazuki's always been naturally kind to his friends, and he's always ready to help them when they're in need-"

"It's not as if you needed him then, right?" Mio asked innocently, looking at Nao, who was nodding ardently.

"That's what she said!" Kahoko complained. "So I explained that we hadn't been able to hang out for a long time because, obviously, _he's _very busy with his career, and I'm still trying to build mine, so we decided to… hang out."

Silence.

"Sounds to me like you _are _dating," Nao said smugly, retreating to the kitchen to get her friends' breakfast.

"Nao's right, Kaho-chan," Mio agreed. "People who want to take that statement another way _will_ take it another way."

"Aaargh!" Kahoko cried exasperatedly, half-throwing her hands in the air. "I never want to be interviewed again! I'm just going to flush my name down the drain-"

"Don't be too harsh on yourself," said a voice from behind the two women. "It was only your first TV interview, after all."

Turning around, they saw Amou Nami in front of the doorway, arms akimbo, her face lit up by an ear-to-ear grin.

"Nami-chan!"

"Nami!"

"You're late!" Nao said, pushing plates of toast, eggs and sausages in front of Mio and Kaho. "What happened to meeting at eight, eh?"

"Gomen, gomen!" Nami said, seating herself beside Mio. "I wanted to finish Kaho's interview before I got here. Good job, Kaho-chan!" she added, holding both thumbs up.

Kahoko dropped her head dejectedly as Mio asked, "What else did they talk about, Nami-chan? We only got as far as Fuji Miki asking Kaho about Hihara-san…"

"Nothing much, actually," Nami said, taking the plate that Nao offered her. "The interview wasn't that long, and thank God it wasn't or Kaho here would have died of hyperventilation. Did you get a good look at her face? I swear it was emitting heat."

Nao patted Kahoko's arm in sympathy.

"On the plus side, this interview's sure to boost Kaho's popularity, so you should expect more offers to come your way," Nami told Kahoko as she bit into her toast.

"Nami, I don't want to be known for my love life, thanks-"

"Then stop hanging out with Hihara," Nami advised. "Or Tsuchiura, for that matter-"

"Nami~"

"Ne, Nami," Nao interrupted, looking thoughtful. "Where did you watch Kaho's interview anyway? How'd you get here so fast if you finished the whole thing? We didn't even hear you enter…"

"I was at the restaurant next door."

"You were at Pierre-san's?!"

"Yeah… I had a feeling Kaho would do what she just did."

"Nami, I am seriously going to-!"

At that precise moment, the bell above the restaurant's main door rang, distracting the four of them from their light banter.

"Irashaimasen! Welcome to Café Forte," Nao greeted with a bow from behind the bar. "I'm sorry though, Sir, it seems you've missed the sign at the door. It says we open at 10 AM-"

"Nao," Nami warned, silencing her friend. She eyed the customer warily, her eyes narrowing.

Before them stood a dignified man in his mid-forties. He had thick dark hair, framing the squarish face that hid behind circular, highly reflective glasses. Even at eight in the morning his dark suit was impeccable, his black leather shoes atrociously shiny. Something about this man bothered Nami's sharp journalistic instincts – perhaps it was the way he looked as if he was perfectly aware the café was closed?

"Ohayou gozaimasu," the man said with a brief bow. "I apologize for disturbing your meal, but I wonder if Hino Kahoko-sama would grant my young mistress the privilege of a private breakfast?"

At this, Nao threw her apron aside and began to move to the front of the counter, Nami throwing her arm out to protect both Mio and Kahoko.

"And who, may we ask, is this _young _mistress of yours?"

The man smiled.

"I'm afraid I cannot reveal such sensitive information," he replied. "Otherwise, my young mistress' safety might be compromised. I guarantee, however, that Hino Kahoko-sama will be in safe hands."

"Tell your young mistress, whoever she is, that we're not letting her have a _private _breakfast with our Kaho," Nao retorted. "Not unless she introduces herself properly."

"I can assure you that we do not wish to harm Hino Kahoko-sama-"

"Yeah, yeah," Nami said, scowling. "That's what they all say."

The man sighed deeply.

"I suppose it cannot be avoided," he said. And with this, he snapped his fingers.

Instantly, the door flew open again, the welcome bell ringing madly. About four men in black suits and dark sunglasses entered the restaurant, flanking their leader.

"I must warn you that these men are trained in armed combat," he said, seeing the worry on their pale faces. "I do not wish to fight with any of you, but if I have to take Hino Kahoko-sama by force, then I shall."

Mio and Kahoko clutched each other tighter, retreating towards the bar until their backs hit the countertop. Nao and Nami, too, stepped away from the men, their faces extremely anguished; a nerve was twitching on Nami's neck.

"Ne, Minna," Nao whispered as softly as she could. "You know the way to Pierre-san's, right?"

All three nodded as inconspicuously as they could.

"Jaa, on the count of three," Nao whispered. "Ichi. Ni-"

Before Nao could finish counting, the four men sprung on their feet towards the frightened girls. With a small scream from Mio, the four girls ran towards Café Forte's kitchen, Nami upending a small table to hinder their pursuers. It didn't work.

"Run, run, run!" Nao cried, pushing Mio and Kahoko forward. Quickly, they made their way to the door at the back of the kitchen, weaving through pots and pans and sinks and containers of vegetables and of wine. As the men began to gain ground on them, Nami paused to bring a shelf of silverware crashing down to block the path. Scowling, the men retraced their steps to find other ways to get to the girls. Meanwhile, Nao was looking stricken.

"Oh my God," she rasped.

"Nao, hurry!" Mio cried, grabbing her friend's arm.

Together they rushed to the alleyway at the back of Café Forte, Nami bolting the heavy metal door to lock the men inside. Panting heavily, they looked around the dark alley with unseeing eyes, pausing to catch their breath.

"This way," Kahoko suddenly said, breaking the silence.

They ran to the darker end of the alley, towards an open door similar to the one they had just left. Entering it, they looked around and saw themselves in a larger, more sophisticated kitchen than Café Forte's. Near the huge double doors that separated the kitchen from the dining area, a huddle of men and women decked in white were whispering madly as they peeked at something beyond the doors.

"Sumimasen," Nao began, tapping a young woman at the rear of the pack. "Is Pierre-san around? We'd like to speak with him, please. It's kind of urgent."

Terrified, the woman lifted a finger and pointed towards the scene she and her colleagues were watching. Bewildered, the four girls tiptoed to see past the heads of the people in front of them.

Up ahead, the golden-haired Pierre-san was conversing with a pair of men in black suits. It seemed as if they were arguing, for the pair was advancing while the former was holding his hands up in front of him as if to pacify them. Behind the three, customers were leaving in a steady stream while the waiters stood frozen on their feet, unable to do anything but look on.

"Come on," Nami said suddenly, grabbing Kahoko by the arm.

Taking a different route than the one they had used to get in, Nao led the others to what looked like the manager's office. Behind a wooden desk stood a wide open bay window framed by flowing white curtains, under which was a metal fire escape. Kahoko was first down, followed by Mio, then by Nao, and finally by Nami, who had a hard time getting down owing to her five-inch heels. When all four pairs of feet were back on solid ground they ran towards the mouth of yet another alleyway, in the direction of what looked like the main road.

Tugging Mio's skinny wrist, Kahoko ran with a stitch at her side, wondering why the mysterious man's boss had gone to such lengths just to eat breakfast with her. In the first place, she wasn't even famous enough to gain the attention of someone important _and _dangerous. So why were murder-capable high-end bouncers out for her blood?

As she rounded the corner, Kahoko didn't look at where she was going and ended up bumping her forehead into someone's stone-like chest. Blinded by pain, Kahoko stepped back, rubbing the point of collision, dimly aware of her friends' gasps of shock.

"I did warn you," an eerily familiar voice said.

Kahoko was only partially aware of a pair of strong arms scooping her up and carrying her away from her friends, who she identified through their shouts and curses. Hovering between consciousness and the absence of it, Kahoko looked up and saw the murderous face of a large, meaty man with a scar running down his right eye, shutting it completely.

Upon seeing this, Kahoko promptly collapsed.

XXX

"Naoto-san," chirped a singsong voice. "What did I…? Didn't I … treat Kaho-senpai gently… much care? What have you…?"

"…sorry, Erika-ojousama," spoke a low voice. "Her friends… good fight… against her will."

"Naoto-san!"

"…could not afford to fail..."

A sigh.

"I appreciate your efforts, Naoto-san" the female said. "But frankly… your methods!"

"My apologies."

"Jeez, Naoto-san, you apologize too much."

A pause. And then-

"I will be right over there if you need me," the man said.

"Yes, all right."

Kahoko was utterly bewildered by the conversation. She could barely process half the information she had just heard, mainly because her brain was still half-conscious. Slowly, painfully, she opened her eyes, and was greeted by too much brilliance.

She shut her eyes again.

"Ahh, Kaho-senpai!" chirped a voice. "You're awake! How are you feeling?"

Sitting up gingerly, Kahoko rubbed her eyes and slowly tried to open them again. This time, the sunlight didn't hurt, but for a moment, Kahoko merely paused to take in her surroundings.

It looked as if she was in the middle of a pristine white beach, sitting up on a rattan recliner, a large, colorful umbrella shielding her from the violent sun. Several feet in front of her was a calm, crystal sea - strangely, intoxicatingly azure. Strangely enough, there were no coconut trees, no beach lovers, nothing in her line of vision except herself and a few pieces of furniture. Just when Kahoko was beginning to think that this was all a nightmare, someone called out her name.

"Kaho-senpai!"

Turning to her right, Kahoko came face to face with a girl in a large straw hat and oversized sunglasses. A smile was on her face, a permanently rosy color was on her cheeks, and to complete the picture of a beautiful beach goddess in a green summer dress, her long, dark brown, pin-straight hair was flying gently in the sea breeze. Kahoko gaped.

Seemingly satisfied that Kahoko was awake, the stranger smiled even wider, and she held out a tall glass filled with red juice.

"Red iced tea?" she offered, not unkindly.

At a loss for words, Kahoko could only mutter, "W-who are you?"

Smiling, the stranger took her hat and sunglasses off and shook her hair off her face. Kahoko found herself staring into deep blue eyes, identical in shade to the beach that stretched in front of them.

"Sawajiri Erika desu," the strange young woman replied. "It's a pleasure meeting you!"

"Sawajiri…" Kahoko whispered, playing the name in her head. "How are you related to the incumbent Prime Minister?"

"Oh, he's my dad."

"Ehhh?!" Kahoko cried, jumping from her seat. "You're the Prime Minister's daughter? _How- Why- _Kahoko wrung her hands in confusion. "Anou… have we met before?"

"Of course we've met never before, silly," Erika said, motioning her guest to resume her previous position. "I only found out about your existence six months ago, and I assume you've only heard about me today."

"But then-"

"I will explain things only if you calm down," Erika said stubbornly. "All else can be explained much much later, after we've discussed the important bits."

_What's more important than figuring out why I'm here?_

"I know, I know," Erika said, taking a sip from the juice she had offered Kahoko earlier. "You're wondering what's more important than figuring out why you're here. Weeell… there is a more interesting question than that, which is, 'Why am _I_ here?'"

Kahoko stared.

"Nuh-uh, scratch that," Erika said, waving a hand in front of her face and setting her juice on a nearby glass-topped table. "The point is I'm here right now because I have an issue that only you can help me with."

"And that… is?"

For a moment, it seemed as if Erika would not reply. She turned her face towards the ocean, and with sad eyes gazed at something far beyond the waves. Pensive, she sighed.

"Help me win Len's heart," she whispered. "Please?"

**A/N: **

Ahahaha. That took so much time and effort to write; thank God it's sembreak. I'm sorry if it turned out to be an excruciatingly long-winded chapter – I'm well aware that I tend to insert too much detail in my work, and I'm trying to reduce the extras but… I've yet to succeed. Ahahaha.

**Next: **

**Chapter 2: Deal with the Devil**

_Ice cube, huh?_

"_You're smiling," Erika observed, cracking a grin herself. Kahoko instantly rearranged her expression. "I'll take that to mean you're interested in helping me."_

"_I still don't see how this is going to work-"_

"_Trust me, it will," Erika said firmly, sitting back down. Kahoko thought she may have imagined it, but the girl looked somewhat… unsure. "All I need right now is assurance of your cooperation. That's all."_


	3. Chapter 2

**Ultra A/N:**

This is an alternate retelling of _Bridging the Gap. _It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.

**Chapter 2: Deal with the Devil**

**A/N:**

I seriously enjoy writing this - though I'm not sure it shows. Writing for pleasure is the best break a student can get from reading and writing too much textbook-like material, the bread and butter of college life. I pray you'll have more patience with my seemingly monotonous writing. The ice will break soon, methinks.

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own _La Corda d'Oro_; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.

**Previously:**

**Chapter 1: Alien Abduction**

"_The point is I'm here right now because I have an issue that only you can help me with."_

"_And that… is?"_

_For a moment, it seemed as if Erika would not reply. She turned her face towards the ocean, and with sad eyes gazed at something far beyond the waves. Pensive, she sighed._

"_Help me win Len's heart," she whispered. "Please?"_

**Chapter 2: Deal with the Devil**

Kahoko's heart skipped a beat.

"Len… Tsukimori?" she said slowly, unbelieving. Why, after all these years, did his memory come back to torment her?

Sawajiri Erika nodded sadly.

"We went to the same music school. In Vienna," she explained. "There wasn't much opportunity for us to meet, actually, because he plays the violin while I play the piano. But given that there weren't too many Japanese music students there…"

Lost in thought, she began twiddling her thumbs involuntarily, staring at her fingers as she did so.

"At first, we hung out only because of mutual friends," Erika continued. "And back then, I honestly didn't like him. He was cold, and he always sulked, even when others tried to reach out. But then…" she paused, looked up from her hands and gave Kahoko a small smile, "I presume you know the feeling?"

Kahoko did. She knew what it felt like, the joy of discovering the soft heart tucked beneath the man's icy façade. Len may seem unkind, but for the few he chose to open up to, the handful of people who were important to him, he was the kindest, most gentle person.

_To think, I was once…_

"...and I tried to get closer to him, to become part of his world," Erika was saying, completely oblivious to Kahoko's change of mood. "I can't say my plan ended up in a complete failure - after all, he does confide in me – but I'm progressing at such a slow pace. I can't afford to lose more time," Erika said, frustration evident in her voice.

"That's why, Kaho-senpai," Erika finished, reaching out for Kahoko's hands, "won't you help me? Please?"

Although Kahoko had done her absolute best to listen, most of the information she had just received was lost on her. _Why the rush? Why Len? Why me?!_

She cleared her throat.

"I don't really understand what you're trying to say, Sawajiri-san-"

"Please!" Erika chided cheerfully, regaining her some of her initial energy. "Call me Erika. Do you mind my calling you by your first name?"

"Not really, Erika… san," Kahoko replied, the name rolling awkwardly on her lips. "The thing is I don't understand why… you chose to ask for my help. I don't even know how to help you. Tsukimori Len and I are-"

"Just friends?" Erika supplied. "Pardon my bluntness, but I doubt you two are even friends at this point in time."

_Aha. _

"Well then," Kahoko said, "you understand why I can't help you with your problem. Now if you'll excuse me," she said, slipping her hands out of Erika's grasp, "I have to get home. My friends are probably worried sick."

Still feeling lost, Kahoko stood up and began to walk away. She couldn't believe what was happening. This girl, Sawajiri Erika, was truly… extreme. _Now_, Kahoko thought, looking left and right to familiarize her location, _how do I get out of here?_

"Kaho-san," called a voice from behind her. She turned around and saw Erika on her feet, straw hat in hand. "I realize it's very selfish of me to ask for your help regarding this matter. But," her hands tightened around the hat, "you really are the only one who can help me with this. You and Len… dated."

It wasn't a question.

"You're the only person I know of who's ever been attached to him," Erika continued with a louder voice, strangely emboldened by Kahoko's silence. "He hasn't dated anyone in Vienna – I made sure of that. And from what I've heard, you were his only girlfriend in Japan. That's why…"

It made sense. But-

"If you know all that," Kahoko began slowly, "don't you feel... threatened?"

To her great surprise, Erika laughed.

"No, not really," was the singsong reply. "You may have known him when he was younger, but I've been by his side for a much longer time. I'm better acquainted with the man he is now than you are," she added, smiling at the thought. "Also, please forgive me for saying this, but I'm from a prominent family, and I have a good educational background. Not to mention," Erika said, tucking a strand of her magnificent hair behind an ear, as if to prove a point, "I daresay I'm prettier and more charming. No offense, Kaho-senpai."

"None taken," Kahoko muttered sheepishly, forcibly reminded of someone else.

"Besides," Erika said thoughtfully, as though everything she had mentioned earlier was insufficient, "you have Hihara Kazuki, don't you?"

Kahoko blanched.

"S-so," Kahoko spluttered, attempting to distract Erika before she could delve further into the topic, "what you're trying to say is I'm your only hope."

Erika nodded.

"Assuming I want to help you - _assuming_, of course," Kahoko emphasized, "what can I do? Asking me to help you 'win' his heart is too abstract. I mean," she paused, unsure of what to say, "I don't even know how I pulled it off-"

"Information," Erika supplied.

"Sorry?"

"I need to know more about Len's dating technique, his likes and dislikes, his plans and dreams, stuff like that," Erika said offhandedly. "More importantly, I need to know more about _you_: what you're like, your personality, your interests. I have to know _how _you unfroze that ice cube."

_Ice cube, huh?_

"You're smiling," Erika observed, cracking a grin herself. Kahoko instantly rearranged her expression. "I'll take that to mean you're interested in helping me."

"I still don't see how this is going to work-"

"Trust me, it will," Erika said firmly, sitting back down. Kahoko thought she may have imagined it, but the girl looked somewhat… unsure. "All I need right now is assurance of your cooperation. That's all."

She was staring at Kahoko again – perfect eye contact. The other woman felt her body tense. This whole idea was absurd, and yet… there was something about Sawajiri Erika that made Kahoko want to help her.

But with Tsukimori Len involved… She had sworn to stay out of his life, hadn't she?

"I know about your agreement," Erika said, reading Kahoko's mind. For the millionth time that morning, Kahoko's heart somersaulted. _How…?_

"'We shall go on with our lives and stay out of each other's business'," Erika recited. "Something like that, right? Pretty heavy breakup line, if you want my opinion. Still beats 'It's not you, it's me' though," she noted, sipping the red iced tea again.

"Listen," Kahoko said, walking back to Erika in large strides, her face flushing. "I don't know where you get your so-called _information,_ but I want to make it clear that-"

"If you're worried about meeting Len again, I promise you, it's not happening," Erika said calmly. "I may have given you all those reasons, but still, I'd rather not risk my chances. At least now you know why I'm not threatened at all."

She looked at Kahoko, face serious.

"You dumped him, Kahoko," Erika said. "You hurt his pride and broke his heart. Either of the two would have been bad enough, but both? Tsk tsk. Unforgivable. I truly understand why you don't want to see him again."

Kahoko's mouth open and closed, but no words came out. _How?_

"Never mind where I get my information," Erika said, smiling. She was now standing up, walking forward, and before Kahoko knew it, they were face to face. "That's my business. What I want _you _to know is that I know more than you think I do," Erika almost whispered into Kahoko's ear, still smiling. "You wouldn't want the media to know what I know, do you… Kaho-senpai?"

Kahoko froze. No. The media must not know. Not even Mio, Nao and Nami knew about it, and if her secret going public meant that Len had to find out as well…

_If that means if I have to get into this mess… so be it._

"Fine," Kahoko said in a low voice, her eyes downcast. "You win. I'll help you. But you have to keep your end of the bargain-"

"You won't meet Len," Erika said. "I promise." She stepped back, and Kahoko was relieved to see that her smile appeared much kinder from a distance. "I leave myself in your hands, Kaho-senpai," she said, lowering her head slightly.

Kahoko looked away. It was more the other way around really.

"Jaa," Erika said, clapping her hands. "Let's have breakfast then! Or lunch, I guess. I think we spent too much time talking."

At this, she grabbed Kahoko's wrist and dragged her to a circular glass table loaded with fruits and dishes. Kahoko's jaw dropped. _I didn't even notice this!_

"Excuse me, Erika-san," Kahoko said, pulling her hand back. "I'd like to call my friends first before anything else. They're probably worried about me."

"Oh, go ahead," Erika said, seating herself. "Talk to Naoto-san, the man who brought you here. He'll know what to do."

"I'll go find him then-"

"You don't mind if I eat ahead?" Erika asked, as servers appeared out of nowhere to flock around the table.

"No, you go on," Kahoko urged, turning to leave. "I don't feel like eating anything."

She had lost her appetite.

**A/N:**

That one over-expanded. More proof that I tend to 'write as I go'; I totally didn't think their conversation would take _that long_. There was so much to be explained! And so much to be kept secret… for now. I hope this clears up a few things though.

**Next:**

**Chapter 3: Reunion Season**

"_You have one message:_

"_Kaho-chan!" Mio's voice greeted her. "Shouko-chan and Keichii-kun have come home from London. I know it's sudden but we only just heard the news, too. If you're back by tonight, go to Banzai downtown – the lovebirds are treating us to dinner and drinks. We're headed there right now, so you'll just have to catch up, okay? See you, Kaho-chan – just in case you're home."_


	4. Chapter 3

**Ultra A/N:**

This is an alternate retelling of _Bridging the Gap. _It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.

**Chapter 3: Reunion Season**

**A/N:**

One thing about Jdorama and anime that I truly find fascinating is how the creators manage to squeeze in every possible character into one crucial moment. This happens often in endings, when everyone, from people who should be busy with serious matters abroad to the protagonist's favorite burger man, pops out of nowhere. I shall attempt to do the same thing here. Absurdly long chapter coming your way!

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own _La Corda d'Oro_; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.

**Previously:**

**Chapter 2: Deal with the Devil**

"_Fine," Kahoko said in a low voice, her eyes downcast. "You win. I'll help you. But you have to keep your end of the bargain-"_

"_You won't meet Len," Erika said. "I promise." She stepped back, and Kahoko was relieved to see that her smile appeared much kinder from a distance. "I leave myself in your hands, Kaho-senpai," she said, lowering her head slightly._

_Kahoko looked away. It was more the other way around really._

**Chapter 3: Reunion Season**

"Café Forte, how may I help you?" Nao's voice greeted from the other end of the line.

"Nao!"

"Kaho!" Nao screamed at the receiver. Kahoko put the phone away from her ear, grimacing at the cacophony of chairs being pushed back, footsteps racing closer, panicked voices jumbling, calling out her name.

"Yes, it's me," Kahoko replied, pressing the phone against her ear again. "Can you please tell them to relax? I'm all right."

"She's all right!" Nao called out to the others happily. Kahoko heard a collective sigh, and someone, she had an idea who, saying, "I'm going to grill that girl when she gets back here!"

Kahoko laughed nervously. Being grilled about the deal that had just taken place was not something she was looking forward to.

"Excuse me," she heard a gruff, awfully familiar voice say. There was a bit of scuffling, a momentary pause, and then the words,

"Oi, Kaho! Where are you right now?"

"Ryoutaro?!" Kahoko gasped, blushing at the same time. "What are you doing there?"

"Nami and the others called me after what happened," Tsuchiura Ryoutaro explained. "They said you fainted and some men in black took you away. I got here as soon as I could."

"Ryou," Kahoko whispered, feeling guilty but oddly touched. "You didn't have to."

He gave a noncommittal grunt.

"The point is we were worried sick," Tsuchiura said. "Where are you right now? What did those men do to you? Are you sure you're all right? Who's the one behind all this-?"

"Slow down, will you!" Kahoko cried. "I can't answer all your questions at once." She sighed. "Regarding my location…"

Kahoko absorbed her surroundings. She was on the balcony of a stately beach house, several meters away from Erika's furniture set. From this point, she had a better view of the sea, which was bluer than ever, and the rolling hillsides around the shore. She could even see lines of coconut trees, and miraculously, a few people as well.

"I'm in Okinawa."

"Okinawa?!" Tsuchiura repeated, disbelief etched in his tone. In the background, her friends exclaimed as well, and once again, a lone sheep asked aloud, "How'd she get there so fast?"

"I don't know how I got here, okay?" Kahoko answered dully. "But I'm starting to think nothing's impossible anymore."

"What do you mean?" Tsuchiura queried.

"You don't want to know," Kahoko assured him. "Those men did nothing to me actually, they just brought me over here to meet their… er… young mistress."

"Yeah, I've heard about this _ojousama_," Tsuchiura said darkly. "Who is she? If it's someone dangerous, I have a few friends at the police department-"

"No, Ryou, it's nothing like that," Kahoko replied. "She's not that bad, actually. A bit mental, but well… no one's rich and perfect."

Tsuchiura chuckled. "Well…"

Silence.

"Really, t-thank you for this," Kahoko said, stumbling on her words. "I don't deserve this, after all that's happened-"

"What are you talking about?" Tsuchiura said, feigning indifference. "I'm handing the phone over to Mio. She wants to talk to you."

"Ryou, wait-!"

"Kaho-chan!" Mio's voice cried. "Kaho-chan, we were so worried! How are you? Are you all right? Did those men do something bad to you?"

"I'm fine, Mio," Kahoko said, smiling despite herself. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble. Could you please apologize to everyone for me? Is Pierre-san there?"

"Yes, he's here, but he's comforting Nao-chan at the moment."

"Could you thank him for me later?" Kahoko requested. "And also… could you extend my gratitude to Ryoutaro please?"

There was a soft shuffling noise.

"Anou… Kaho-chan," Mio said in a stage whisper, "I know I don't have the right to interfere, but are you sure about your decision? Ryoutaro's a good guy-"

"Mio…"

"-and it hasn't been very long since you guys broke up-"

"Mio!" Kahoko exclaimed. "C-can we not talk about this right now?" she begged awkwardly. "I don't think this is the right moment."

"Oh, yes, of course-"

"Mio-chan, can I talk to Kaho-chan, too?"

"Ahh, yes, sure, Nami-chan-"

More shuffling noises.

"Kahoko?" came Nami's voice. "Kahoko, I swear, when I see this _ojousama _they're all talking about I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind and make her explain why she's doing all this!"

"Nami, I think that's a bit-"

"Nooooo, seriously," Nami insisted. "She has an awful lot of explaining to do. But tell me, Kahoko, what's she like? Is she famous? There's no doubt she's rich. Maybe she's a spoiled little rich brat who's got nothing to do with her life?"

"Ahhh, well…" It scared Kahoko how spot-on Nami's assessment was.

"Am I right or am I right?"

"Anou, Nami, I have to get back now," Kahoko said.

"I'll talk to you when you get back then-"

"Right. No, wait-"

"Kaho-chan, you have to tell me _everything_-"

"Nami, I really have to get back now," Kahoko lied, panicking. "Sorry, see you, bye!"

She dropped the call. Sighing, she collapsed against the railings of the balcony and tugged at her hair.

"Kahoko," she scolded herself softly. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"Pardon my intrusion," said a voice from behind Kahoko.

It was Naoto-san. He was standing at the threshold of the balcony, looking as dignified as ever. Slowly, he walked over to Kahoko, and when he was close enough to be heard well, he began to speak.

"Erika-ojousama has always been a bit rash in making decisions," he said, looking at the beach. "I know this is all very shocking to you, Hino Kahoko-sama, but all the same, I would like to thank you for deigning to help the ojousama." He gave a slight bow. "I would also like to apologize for my behavior earlier; my actions were unforgivable. I'm truly sorry," he said, bowing again, deeply this time.

"N-no, Naoto-san," Kahoko cried, motioning for the man to lift his head. "It wasn't your fault, and anyway, I wasn't hurt, so you don't have to apologize at all," she added, inserting a small laugh for emphasis.

"The stories are true: you are most kind."

"Anou, Naoto-san," Kahoko said, changing the topic. "If you know about the deal I made with Erika-san, then you must also know why I agreed to help her. You know about my agreement … with Len?"

"I know everything there is to know about the affairs of the ojousama," was all Naoto-san said. Kahoko took it as a yes.

"You won't tell me who your sources are, even if I asked, right?"

"No, I will not."

"I expected as much," Kahoko said, more to herself. She looked at the beach, and saw Erika playing with a golden retriever. _Another oddity._

"How is he?" she heard herself ask out of nowhere. "Tsukimori Len?"

Naoto-san considered his words before answering, "He seems well. He often goes on concert tours, but his home is in Vienna. Last I heard, he was headed to Los Angeles for a charity ball." He gauged Kahoko's reaction. "He seems to have no intention of returning to Japan anytime soon."

"I see…" Kahoko said, still lost in thought.

_So Len's got what he's always wanted. As expected. _

"I probably should be heading back," Kahoko said, smiling. "Erika-san might think I was planning on escaping. Thank you for the phone, Naoto-san."

"Of course, Hino-sama."

Kahoko let her feet take her back to the beach. Meanwhile, she let her mind wander - to old thoughts, to old faces, to things that had happened in the past. For the millionth time, she wondered, what if? It wasn't really a regret, she told herself, more like a curiosity, a question that wanted to be answered.

_What if I had gone with him?_

"Kaho-senpai." Erika's voice sounded oddly distant.

Kahoko jerked her mind back to reality. She was shocked to discover that she was already at the beach. "Yes?"

"Do you like dogs?" Erika asked, patting the golden retriever on the head. "Len likes them very much. I think he'd be a dog-walker if he wasn't a violinist."

"Well," Kahoko said, bending low to pet the dog as well. "Doesn't he have a dog as well? A golden retriever like this one… Wolfgang?"

"Woof-gang," Erika joked, smiling at Kahoko. "Really playful, that dog. I hear he's from Japan? Len said they've been together since high school."

"Yes…"

Erika stared.

"You've got that proverbial faraway look in your eyes," she teased. "Could it be you got Wolfgang together? Or maybe he was a gift from you?"

"No," Kahoko said, avoiding Erika's gaze. "It wasn't really like that."

"Ooooh, tell me," Erika said. "This could be the first step in fulfilling our contract."

Kahoko blinked. And sighed.

"I suppose."

_When we were still… together, Len used to walk me home every day. I couldn't understand why he bothered; after all, he was always complaining about not having enough time to practice. I appreciated it, all the same. It was quite… sweet._

"Did he hold your hand while you walked?" Erika interrupted.

"Sometimes," Kahoko replied, blushing at the memory. "Not always though. To be honest, he wasn't mad about public displays of affection."

"Fine. Go on then."

_The night before winter break-_

"Hang on," Erika interrupted once again. "Did you always go home at night? Did you go on dates before coming home?"

"Erika-san, do you mind holding on to your questions until after the end of the story?" Kahoko asked, trying hard not to let her patience run thin. "It's just that, I'm easily distracted and it's difficult for me to keep going if I have to pause often."

"Ah, sumimasen," Erika apologized good-naturedly. "I didn't know you preferred things that way. I'll try to keep silent from now on. But tell me, did you go on dates before coming home?"

Kahoko sighed exasperatedly.

_That night, we got home late because my friends insisted that we eat out to welcome our vacation. So it was a special night, see? As I was saying, we were walking home, and it was snowing pretty heavily. Although both of us had an umbrella, I thought it would be… fun if we shared his. After all, it was kind of big, I'd always wondered how it fit in his bag-_

"Just get on with the story!"

_So! We were walking down the street leading to my house when suddenly we heard a soft yupping sound. When we looked for its source, we found a box… lying abandoned on the street, near some trash cans. Curious, we bent down to inspect the box. It looked ordinary, at most, save for the weird sound that was coming from it. And then Len, he flipped the box open, and we peeked inside and saw a little puppy, dirt-brown in color, huddled in one corner of the box. _

_Ignoring Len's warning, I handed him my stuff and scooped the little ball of fur in my arms. It was soft and tiny and shivering. I took my scarf off – it was my favorite one, too, green with tiny g-clefs embroidered onto it – and wrapped it around the puppy, leaving some space for it to breathe. That done, I took my stuff back and held out the bundle. _

"_For you," I think I told Len, offering him the puppy. _

"_You keep him," he said. "I'm not very good with animals."_

"_We can't say for sure," I insisted. "You've never had a pet, haven't you?"_

"_For good reason," he retorted. "I'm serious, Kaho. You take care of it. It will probably die if it ends up with me." _

"_But we don't have space at home-"_

"_It could sleep in your room-"_

"_Mou, Tsukimori," I complained. "Just take him. Look after him for a few days, and if you don't like the experience, I'll come take him back." _

_Len looked at me with seriously troubled eyes. It seemed to me that he really believed the dog was going to die if we left it with him for too long. But I knew Len wouldn't let that happen. It was against his nature._

_He ended up taking the puppy home after all. We didn't talk about him much during winter break. Things got pretty busy, with his parents throwing parties at home and my parents suddenly craving for hot springs, so when we had the chance to talk, it was always about what was happening on his end or my end…_

_When Christmas season was over, and my family had gotten back from the hot springs, I paid Len a surprise visit. When I got to his house, Hamai Misa-san greeted me. I asked where Len was, and I was surprised by the answer she gave me._

"_He's in his room, playing with that little puppy of his," she had said with a smile. _

_Thanking Misa-san, I bounded up the stairs and ran to Len's room. After knocking on his door, I heard him say, "Come in."_

_He didn't even ask who it was!_

_Something else clearly occupied his thoughts, and when I opened the door, I saw him sitting on the floor petting the little brown puppy we had picked up. His back was to me, so I couldn't see his expression, but when he turned around, there was the trace of a smile on his face, and his eyes were twinkling, like he was truly enjoying himself. _

"_Kahoko," he said, relatively cheerfully. "You didn't tell me you were coming." _

"_I wanted to surprise you," I told him. I sat beside him on the floor, and reached out to pat the puppy on the head. "He's gotten bigger, hasn't he?"_

"_Yes, it seems he has," Len said, somewhat fondly. _

"_You like him, don't you?" I teased, banking on his good mood. "I told you you'd be good with animals. You just needed the opportunity to test your skills…" _

"_You make it sound like it's such a big thing."_

"_Well, it is, sort of," I said. "They say truly gentle people are the ones who enjoy the company of animals." _

_Len didn't say anything. He was never good at receiving compliments like that. _

"_I guess I won't have to take him home then-"_

"_Kahoko," he said suddenly. "What do you want to name him?"_

_I was a bit surprised. "You mean you haven't named him yet?"_

_He shook his head. "I wanted us to name him together," he said. "Although I'm keeping him for now, we did find him together, so he's your responsibility, too." _

"_Why don't we name him after a famous musician then?" I suggested. "Do you want to name him Ravel? Tchaikovsky? Er… Kreisler?"_

"_No, none of those sound like a pet name. I'd prefer first names, if it's okay with you."_

"_Isn't there a famous dog named Beethoven?"_

"_That's a different story, Kaho."_

_It really got me thinking. For some time, I sat there, running through names in my head, trying to see if they fit the puppy. And Len, he didn't help me at all. He just sat there, watching our puppy, letting me do all the thinking. _

_But I think that was his intention. _

_I considered the puppy's traits. I didn't know him as well as Len did, but from what I could see, he seemed like a really playful dog. And he seemed to make Len happy. I looked back and wondered whose music made me feel happy. Definitely not Beethoven. Schubert seemed too romantic, Gavotte didn't sound right. And then it hit me. _

"_Mozart," I whispered. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "How about Wolfgang?"_

_Len looked at me, and then at the puppy._

"_Wolfgang it is," he said, smiling. _

"That's how Wolfgang got his name," Kahoko finished, her mind stuck somewhere else, in a young man's room where a boy and a girl watched over their mutual responsibility.

"Appropriate name," Erika noted. She had gotten quieter during the narration, but Kahoko was too immersed in her past to notice. Patting the golden retriever beside her, Erika said, "Len loved that dog very much. He was very distraught when it died."

"He died?!" Kahoko exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Hit and run," Erika said simply. Unmoved by Kahoko's stricken face, she turned her attention to Naoto-san, who was standing behind the two of them, listening to the conversation.

"Ahh, Naoto-san, perfect timing," Erika chirped. "Is it time to go back home?"

"I'm afraid so, Ojousama," Naoto-san replied. "Nadeshiko-sama is most anxious to see you. She wishes to have dinner with you at the Tokyo residence."

"It can't be helped, I guess," Erika said, standing up. "You'll accompany me, of course, Kaho-senpai?"

"Huh?" Kahoko asked, surprised. "But I thought you only wanted to get information from me. You never said anything about pretending to be your friend."

"Ouch, that stung," Erika berated, acting hurt. "Nevertheless, you vowed to help me, didn't you? I guarantee you'll be able to help me tonight, Kaho-senpai. Not to mention," she added as an afterthought, "I have to make it up to you! After all, you weren't able to eat a decent meal today because of me."

"I appreciate your kindness, but I really must get home," Kahoko said.

"But why?" Erika asked innocently, titling her head. "There's no one waiting for you there, right?"

Kahoko balled her fists, her nails digging into her palms. Sawajiri Erika. She was going beyond the line.

"Fine," Kahoko caved in. "I'll have dinner with you. But after dinner, I'm going home to my apartment, all right?"

"As you wish, Kaho-senpai," Erika said, smiling sweetly.

"One more thing," Kahoko added, getting to her feet. "Can you not call me senpai?"

"But I want to," Erika said, smiling yet again. "You got first to Tsukimori Len's heart, but I'll be next. And last."

Still smiling, Erika began to walk away. Then she paused, and without turning around, added, "Besides, I'm younger than you are."

Kahoko stood rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed to the ocean. When she had first agreed to help Sawajiri Erika, she had thought she was strong enough to stand barbs like this. And yet… somehow, even after four years, the pain still stung. Perhaps it had even gotten worse.

"Nadeshiko-obaasama," Erika greeted cheerfully, waltzing through the elegant French doors of the Tokyo residence. Kahoko, dazed by the lack of food and the flurry of shopping around the city with Erika for company, practically tumbled into the foyer, where maids in black and white uniforms relieved her of five hours' worth of shopping.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Kahoko said with all the sincerity she could muster. "Really, you're lifesavers." The maids only giggled and bowed deeply.

"Nadeshiko-obaasama~" The voice was getting fainter and fainter as Erika walked deeper into the heart of the house. Afraid of getting lost in God knows how huge a place, Kahoko followed the sound, her new heels making odd clicking noises against the tiled floor.

For the house of a wealthy family, the Tokyo residence was oddly bare. True, the materials of the house itself seemed of high quality, from the well-lit ceilings to the shiny floor, but there were no paintings on the walls, no portraits of the house's inhabitants, no sign that people lived inside it.

_Maybe they're going for a minimalist look_, Kahoko reasoned.

"Obaasama, I found you!" came Erika's delighted cry from up ahead. Cautiously, Kahoko followed, turning a corner and finding herself in a grand dining room with a crystal chandelier and an ornate long table.

The first thing Kahoko noticed was the number of servers standing around the table, close to the walls, like statues that needed to be ordered around for them to come to life. Then Kahoko turned her attention to the individuals seated at the table. The elegant old woman at the head of the table was hugging Erika; she, Kahoko presumed, was Nadeshiko-sama. Three other people had been dining with her: a beautiful young woman with a short, dark brown bob; another elegant old woman in an elaborate silk kimono; and, a familiar face with long blue hair, who was on his feet, staring at her with unbelieving eyes.

"Hino Kahoko?" Yunoki Azuma wondered aloud.

"Yunoki-senpai!" Kahoko exclaimed, equally surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Hisashiburi, Hino-san," Miyabi greeted, getting to her feet as well. "Ogenki desu ka?"

"Hai, genki desu," Kahoko replied with a smile, pleased by the unexpected turn of events. "I didn't think we'd meet here of all places."

"You children know each other?" Nadeshiko-sama asked with a smile. "What a coincidence, isn't it, Shizuka?"

"Yes, indeed," said Yunoki's grandmother, who didn't seem happy with the guest. "Do you mind, young lady, if I ask your name? You are a familiar face, but I daresay we've never been properly introduced."

"This is Hino Kahoko, Shizuka-obaasama," Erika said, jumping in. She stood next to Kahoko and put an arm around the other's shoulders. "She's a composer who is gaining fame for her work on movies and anime. I daresay she's the hottest sensation in the music scene right now!"

"Your score for _Loop Continuum_ was wonderful, Hino-san," Miyabi said, sitting down together with Yunoki. "It truly made the show a more exciting visual experience."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Kahoko replied awkwardly. She didn't know which was more shocking, the fact that Miyabi watched anime, or the fact that she praised Kahoko's least favorite creation.

"May I ask how you two know each other?" Yunoki inquired, looking between Erika and Kahoko with beady eyes.

"Through music," Erika simply replied. "I was watching _Wanted Perfect Orchestra _when I fell in love with its music. And when I looked at the credits, I saw Kaho-senpai's name. So I flew to Japan as soon as possible in order to meet her," she said, smiling.

Kahoko started. Was this true? Was that really how Sawajiri Erika found out about her? It was too insane to be realistic. Besides, it seemed Erika was good at lying - perhaps this was just another tale as well.

Nadeshiko-sama was laughing.

"Pardon her carefree manner, everyone," Nadeshiko-sama said, although she didn't seem to mind her granddaughter's behavior at all. "Erika has always been a bit too… ahh… indecisive, I think is the term."

"Obaasama," Erika sang.

"Just joking, dear," her grandmother replied. "Come, have a seat. You as well, Hino-san, come join us for dinner."

Yunoki pulled out the chair beside his, and stared at Kahoko pointedly. Erika, with a sly smile that told Kahoko she knew more about this meeting than she let on, went to sit beside Yunoki's grandmother and Miyabi. Smiling, she greeted Miyabi.

"I see you're sporting a new look," she teased easily, settling down. "Going for sophistication? Nice try, Miyabi-chan, but you'll always be cute to me."

"Aww, Erika," Miyabi complained. "Can't you boost my confidence a bit? A white lie won't hurt anyone."

"Miyabi-san!"

"Ah, gomenasai, Obaasama."

The rest of the meal went on uneventfully. To Kahoko's relief, no one spoke to her, except for Nadeshiko-sama who questioned her regarding the inspiration for her music.

"How extraordinary," Nadeshiko-sama commented. "To unearth melody from everyday sounds… That is truly a rare gift you must treasure."

At this, Kahoko smiled. Erika smiled as well.

For his part, Yunoki did not speak at all during the meal, except to answer questions regarding his life in America. It seemed to Kahoko, however, that Yunoki had something to say to her; she knew it from the way he glanced at her once in a while, before turning back to the dinner conversation with his standard smile.

Finally, dinner ended. Kahoko wasn't up to eating much, given the stress of dining at the same table as the Yunoki matriarch, who kept shooting dagger looks at her. Or maybe it was Erika's presence that made her feel so uneasy – the way she could look so carefree and yet be so cunning… it reminded Kahoko of someone, and the memory made her grin.

"What's so funny?"

Kahoko turned and saw Yunoki's golden eyes gazing at her with curiosity. This made her grin even wider.

"Nothing," she answered sweetly. Yunoki raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't we retreat to the tea room, everyone?" Nadeshiko-sama said, rising. "Shizuka, come. I'm sure you wish to relax after a long day."

Yunoki's grandmother followed Nadeshiko-sama's actions wordlessly, and they left the dining room together, the servers bowing as they passed.

"Miyabi-chan, you must tell me about Paris," Erika said, linking arms with her friend. "Surely you dated a lot of French demigods while you were in school. Or were you too caught up in fashion?"

"What do you think, Erika-chan?" Miyabi countered slyly.

"My, my, you've learned more than I thought," Erika replied, laughing. "But seriously, tell me of Paris, and I'll share my stories of Vienna. Unless there are things you don't want me to know?"

"Erika~"

"I'm joking, I'm joking!"

Kahoko sighed as the two women left the dining area. She listlessly followed them, until a strong hand gripped her arm and began dragging her.

"Wait-" Kahoko complained. "Yunoki-senpai!"

But Yunoki would not listen. He followed the others out of the dining area, but upon reaching the hallway, walked opposite where the women were headed. Ignoring Kahoko completely, he opened the door nearest them and pushed Kahoko inside.

She found herself in a handsomely furnished study, bathed in moonlight. Beguiled by the beauty of the bare mahogany desk in front of her, Kahoko walked forward, entranced by the pools of light that played on the table's surface. Behind her, Yunoki had just locked the door. He paused for a while, as though straining to hear something, but after a moment, he relaxed, a deep breath escaping his lips. And then he turned around.

"Hino Kahoko," he said, voice filled with meaning. "It's been a long time. Six years, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yunoki-senpai," was all Kahoko could say. She paused, hoping for a witty statement to come to her. "How was the US?"

Yunoki chuckled.

"I see you haven't changed," he said. "Still as clueless as ever."

But Kahoko was too used to his insults to care.

"Senpai," she began, smiling, "I'm happy to see you again."

Yunoki stared at her through the darkness, as though considering her expression.

"Is it true? Erika's explanation for how you met?" he asked softly.

Kahoko cringed inwardly.

"Well, I'm not sure if that's really how she found out about me," she said as offhandedly as she could. "But I only met her today, so I don't know much about her."

Again, Yunoki only gazed at her.

"You should be careful," he spoke slowly, "when dealing with Sawajiri Erika. She is the most manipulative person I know, and I know a lot of manipulative people. I believe she grew up like that because her family spoils her too much. You've seen how her own grandmother treats her."

He paused, lost in thought, before continuing.

"She's the only daughter of the prime minister, you know, the youngest of four siblings. Just like Miyabi," he added with a slight smile. "In any case, it's possible that you're just a passing fancy and she'll get tired of you soon," this Kahoko heartily doubted, "but perhaps you're a tool for her to get something she wants."

Kahoko felt the blood rush from her face, and she was thankful the room was dark.

"She doesn't seem so bad, Yunoki-senpai," Kahoko said, repeating the excuse she had given Ryoutaro earlier. "In fact, she's been awfully kind to me despite the fact that we only just met today."

"All the same," Yunoki said. "Be on your guard. She's not a politician's daughter for nothing."

"You seem to know an awful lot about her, Yunoki-senpai," Kahoko noted. "Have you known her long?"

"Yes," he replied, sweeping his hair back. "Her grandmother and my grandmother grew up in the same social circle, so our families know each other. I've known her for as long as I can remember, but mercifully I don't see her often thanks to that temperament of hers. She is also," Yunoki stole a glance at Kahoko, "a fiancée candidate."

"A fiancée candidate!" _Just like Ayano-san_.

"Right now, she is my grandmother's favorite, given that her father's the incumbent prime minister," he admitted. "I have tried convincing her that power is only temporary, but she won't listen to me. For the past month, she's been talking endlessly about an engagement between the two of us, now that Erika has graduated."

_So that's what this is about_, Kahoko thought. _That's why she's rushing_.

"But that's my problem," Yunoki said, regaining his cool composure. "_Your _problem is keeping her happy, and, if possible, cutting off all ties with her as soon as possible. Life's much easier without her around, I promise you."

Kahoko silently agreed. But-

"I appreciate your concern Yunoki-senpai," she said in what she hoped was a firm voice. "But I intend to be good friends with Erika-san. Now if that's all you have to say, I think they're waiting for us in the tea room-"

There was a loud bang as Yunoki slammed the table with both fists. He was now alarmingly close to Kahoko, his arms at her sides and his face barely a few inches from her own.

"Listen to me," Yunoki said, as Kahoko backed up closer to the table. "Stay away from Sawajiri Erika. She's not someone to trifle with."

"I don't mean to be rude but it really is none of your business who I make friends with," Kahoko replied, unable to back up any further.

"From now on, it is," Yunoki said, his eyes glinting dangerously. He brought his face closer to Kahoko's. "Now that I'm back in Japan, I'll be watching your every move, Hino Kahoko. Listen to me because you don't know what's good for you."

"I really don't see why you're so scared of her," Kaho whispered. "The Yunoki-senpai I know isn't scared of anything."

Yunoki's eyes widened. Clearly taken aback, he straightened up, and looked away.

"I believe Erika brought you here for a reason," he spoke after a while. "We didn't meet by chance, that girl's got something up her sleeve-"

"Azuma?" an eerily familiar voice sang from behind the closed door.

Yunoki visibly panicked, as Kahoko's mind raced. _How much did she hear?_

"Azuma, your obaasama is looking for you," Erika piped. "Somehow she finds it hard to believe that you got lost on your way to the tea room."

Composing himself, Yunoki went to open the door. The sight of Erika smiling serenely greeted them.

"What are you doing in the dark?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Sorry to trouble you, Erika," Azuma said. "We were just having a conversation to catch up on a few things. Come, Hino-san. They're waiting for us."

Without looking at Erika, Kahoko followed Yunoki out of the room. Dazed, she followed his footsteps without really thinking. _If even Yunoki-senpai is scared of her…_

"Aahh, Azuma-san, Hino-san," called out Nadeshiko-sama. "We thought you had gotten lost."

Miyabi and the two older women were seated around a low coffee table in the middle of a large, high ceilinged room. Behind them were towering glass windows that overlooked a beautiful Japanese garden, complete with a small pond and a wooden bridge. Like everything else in this house, the room was not ostentatious, but still, it filled Kahoko with a sense of grandeur that left her breathless.

"I'm sorry, Nadeshiko-sama," Yunoki apologized with a smile. "We got sidetracked with the study near the dining hall. Hino-san was most intrigued by the mahogany table you had there…"

Kahoko tried hard not to blush and failed.

"Aahh, yes, my husband's old desk," Nadeshiko-sama said with a smile. "It's beautiful, isn't it? You have exquisite taste in furniture, Hino-san."

"Why didn't you follow us straight to this room, Azuma-san?" his grandmother asked, obviously unsatisfied with his excuse.

"I heard them gossiping, Shizuka-obaasama," replied a familiar voice. It was Erika, waltzing into the tea room and closing the heavy double doors behind her. "They were talking about old high school friends, it really was quite amusing."

"I'm sure it was, Erika-san," the older woman said, "but wouldn't it be more comfortable to talk about such matters here in the tea room? I'm sure Miyabi-san would like to hear stories of old friends as well."

"Oh, but Kaho-senpai can't stay long to chat," Erika said, pouting. "I think she's gotten awfully tired from all the shopping we did. I always thought I was too extreme a companion. Am I right," she met Kaho's eyes, "Kaho-senpai?"

Kahoko gulped. "Well…"

"You only came here to say goodbye then?" Miyabi asked, playing along. "That's a shame. I was hoping to hear more about Hihara-san from you."

"I'm sorry, Miyabi-chan," Kahoko said, smiling. _If you can't beat them, join them. _"I really should be heading home. I have to wait for inspiration to strike me," she joked, earning a chuckle from Nadeshiko-sama and a smile from Miyabi. "Goodbye then, Sawajiri-sama, Yunoki-sama," she said, bowing deeply. "I'm sorry to intrude upon your hospitality. Miyabi-chan, I'll see you soon."

"I'll walk you to the door then," Yunoki offered.

"Nonsense, Azuma," Erika chided. "You're a guest tonight. Sit. I'll be back in a few."

Before Yunoki could react properly, Erika was pulling Kahoko out of the room, skipping slightly as she did so. Kahoko allowed herself to be tugged away, looking at the back of the person who had changed her quiet life in a matter of hours. Erika was humming, still skipping, and despite all she had heard about the girl being such a dangerous individual, Kahoko was strangely attracted to her personality.

_I wonder why Len hasn't fallen for her yet-?_

They reached the main doors, which two butlers opened for them with deep bows. After pulling Kahoko down a flight of marble stairs, Erika gave a set of instructions to the driver of a black limousine, who promptly bowed and opened the car door. Turning to Kahoko, Erika said,

"Thank you for today, Kaho-senpai," she chirped, smiling. "I look forward to hanging out with you more, since today was so much fun. Also," she added, "don't believe anything Azuma says. He's always been jealous of me for being better than him at chess."

Kahoko stared. And sighed.

"You're good at chess then?"

"Quite," Erika replied, not arrogantly. "We should play someday."

"You'll have to teach me first," Kahoko said, smiling. "If that's all then-"

"Wait!" Erika cried. She took something out of her pocket, and held it out for Kahoko. It was a silver mobile phone, slim and shiny. Kahoko stared at it.

"This is for our personal use only," Erika told her. "Take it."

With hesitant fingers, Kahoko took the phone. "Thanks… I guess."

Erika smiled. "Good night, Kaho-senpai!" she chirped, kissing Kahoko's cheek before bounding up the stairs.

Frozen, Kahoko touched the part Erika had kissed. _That was… weird. _Sighing deeply for the millionth time that day, Kahoko got into the limousine and let the driver take her home.

XXX

_Unbelievable._

Kahoko had collapsed into her couch, the lights in her medium-sized apartment kept dim. Physically exhausted but mentally awake, she looked back on the events of the day, and tried to make sense of them.

Sawajiri Erika. That girl was truly out of this world. To go so far as virtually kidnapping her love interest's ex-girlfriend… Kahoko didn't think she would meet anyone who was nuts enough to do that. Or confident enough, for that matter.

And yet, Kahoko thought she saw Erika's uncertainty regarding what she was doing. There was something in Erika's expression that one time, as they talked on the beach, that made Kahoko think the girl was _desperate_ for her plan to succeed.

Kahoko sighed. Tsukimori Len. He was causing this mess.

Wanting to distract herself from thoughts of him, she stood up and walked over to the phone, thinking she would order take out and stare at the food until she got hungry. To her slight surprise, she had one voice mail. Wondering who it could be, she punched the combination for her inbox.

"You have one message:

"Kaho-chan!" Mio's voice greeted her. "Shouko-chan and Keichii-kun have come home from London. I know it's sudden but we only just heard the news, too. If you're back by tonight, go to _Banzai_ downtown – the lovebirds are treating us to dinner and drinks. We're headed there right now, so you'll just have to catch up, okay? See you, Kaho-chan – just in case you're home."

The call ended. Kahoko looked at her watch. It was almost eleven.

If she were honest with herself, Kahoko would admit she was deadbeat from being around a human livewire all day. But she also wanted to see Shouko-chan and Keichii-kun, who she hadn't seen in a month. After meeting Yunoki, she wanted to catch up on her other friends' lives as well. Not to mention, there was free food.

Having decided, Kahoko made her way to _Banzai. _

XXX

_Banzai _turned out to be a karaoke bar with a healthy night life. It occupied an entire floor in a tall skyscraper downtown, which offered a beautiful view of the Tokyo skyline.

_Since when have Shouko-chan and Keichii-kun been party people?_

Making her way to the welcome desk, Kahoko scanned the crowd in the lobby for any familiar faces, but to her dismay found none.

"Looking for anyone, Miss?" the handsome young receptionist asked her kindly.

"Yes, I'm looking for Fuuyumi Shouko and Shimizu Keichii?" Kahoko replied. "I was told to meet them here, although I'm not sure if they're still around..."

The man consulted his computer.

"We have a room booked by a certain Shimizu Keichii-san," he informed her. "The Yokohama suite. If you could just wait a moment, Miss…" he said, looking around, probably for someone to escort Kahoko to the right room.

"It's okay," Kahoko heard herself say. She knew they were busy tonight. "I can find the Yokohama suite myself."

"But, Miss-"

"Really, don't worry about me," she said. Without waiting for the receptionist to call her back, Kahoko turned away.

It turned out there was a good reason an escort was needed. The hallways of the enormous place were dark, and several intoxicated customers were walking up and down the corridors, singing at the top of their lungs and waving beer bottles merrily. In every corridor, loud music poured out from some rooms, creating a blend of pop, rock and Japanese folk songs. Walking past a man surrounded by several skimpily-clad girls, Kahoko found herself facing yet another corridor.

This one was quieter than the ones she had left behind, and much wider, too. It also had fewer doors, only five in total. Feeling inexplicably excited, Kahoko stepped forward and began looking at the signs on the doors. _Aichi. Hokkaido. Kyoto. Osaka._

Kahoko had a good idea what the name of the last room was. Walking to the end of the corridor, she read the nameplate beside the door: _Tokyo_.

_I knew it_.

Suddenly, her phone rang, disrupting her reverie. Confused, Kahoko felt her pockets, searching for the source of the sound - Beethoven's _Fur Elise_. She felt her hand close on a sleek silver phone.

Erika's phone.

Wondering what on Earth she could want now, Kahoko took the call.

"Moshi moshi," she said.

"Kahoko!" came Erika's anguished cry. "Something terrible has happened. I have to see you as soon as possible. I'm headed for your house right now-"

"I'm not home," was all Kahoko said. "I'm out for dinner with friends."

"What?!" Erika exclaimed. "Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

Debating whether she should tell the truth or not, Kahoko paused for a moment.

"I'm at a karaoke bar called _Banzai_," she answered. "64th floor, Tennouji Tower."

"Good," Erika said, relieved. "Stay there, do you hear me? Stay put until I come for you."

"Okay-"

Erika had already hung up.

Staring at the phone in her hand, Kahoko wondered what had gotten Erika so riled up. She wondered if it was _that_ worrisome, and then she wondered what she had to do with it in the first place.

Shrugging, she put the phone back in her pocket and went to continue her search for the Yokohama suite.

Walking down the dark hallway, Kahoko found her mind floating again. There was only one thing that connected her and Erika. _Could it be…?_

Turning a corner, Kahoko bumped into someone for the second time that day. Thrown off balance, Kahoko hit the floor with a thud, causing her to shut her eyes in pain.

"Sumimasen," a deep voice said. "Are you all right?"

Kahoko felt the man bend down to help her, but she kept her eyes shut. She couldn't decide which was worse: the pain from her bad fall or the embarrassment of being found in such a position.

"I'm fine, thanks-"

"No, let me help you up," he said, gently grasping her shoulder.

"Noo, it was my fault really," Kahoko said, waving a hand at the man. "I didn't look where I was going, that's why I hit you…"

The man had stopped talking. Opening her eyes, Kahoko looked up and saw topaz eyes staring at her, shocked. She heard herself gasp. There was no mistaking his face, his hair, his lips that were slightly parted in surprise.

"Len?!"

**A/N: **

That was harsh. I hope the whole chapter isn't _too_ overwhelming – because I know it's overwhelming enough. The dialogues and banter may have been long, but I wanted to emphasize how truly _absurd_ Sawajiri can be. And, of course, I wanted to give everyone some limelight. I'm truly sorry for my insanity. *bows deeply*

**NB:**

One: I have no idea what the Yunoki matriarch's real first name is.

Two: Those anime titles came from the pits of my head.

Three: The room assignments for _Banzai _were based on my prerogative.

Finally: Majority of the things I come up with are compiled write-ups of bits and bobs from other stuff I've seen and read, so some things may seem familiar. Like the scene where Sawajiri gives Hino the phone – very HYD.

**Next: **

**Chapter 4: Old Habits Die Hard**

_She raised an eyebrow at him. _

"_Are you teasing me, Tsukimori Len?" _

_He smiled. Gently, he took her hand and softly pressed his lips against it. "Maybe."_


	5. Chapter 4

**Ultra A/N:**

This is an alternate retelling of _Bridging the Gap. _It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.

**Chapter 4: Old Habits Die Hard**

**A/N: **

A solo flight is what I'd like to call the next chapter. Here, we take a peek into Tsukimori's head – and I'm nervous already. I was never good at characterization, but I'll do my best to keep him as _ice cube-y _as possible. I might end up just rambling, as usual.

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own _La Corda d'Oro_; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.

**Previously: **

**Chapter 3: Reunion Season**

"_I'm fine, thanks-"_

"_No, let me help you up," he said, gently grasping her shoulder._

"_Noo, it was my fault really," Kahoko said, waving a hand at the man. "I didn't look where I was going, that's why I hit you…"_

_The man had stopped talking. Opening her eyes, Kahoko looked up and saw topaz eyes staring at her, shocked. She heard herself gasp. There was no mistaking his face, his hair, his lips that were slightly parted in surprise._

"_Len?!"_

**Chapter 4: Old Habits Die Hard**

"Kahoko?"

Tsukimori Len was speechless. It was worse than he had imagined. He had been worried that they would meet again, especially now that she had become quite famous, but to bump into each other, literally, in a place such as this, at this most inopportune moment… It was too ironic.

He realized his hand was still on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he heard himself say as he took back his hand. "Can you stand up?"

Kahoko nodded, and gingerly got to her feet without touching him. They stood apart from each other, still not speaking, avoiding each other's eyes.

"Ummm, it's been a while," Kahoko said, a brave stab at breaking the ice.

Tsukimori didn't reply.

"You seem well," she added awkwardly, gesturing at him.

"So do you," was all he said.

It was true. She looked exceptionally pretty, even in this dark corridor. Her long, red hair gracefully hugged her shoulders, although a few unruly strands framed her face and rested on her hollowed cheekbones. Was it just his imagination or did she seem taller? Maybe it was because she carried herself differently, more confidently than she used to in years past. Even her taste in clothes had become more refined: she was wearing an elegant green cocktail dress paired with a white bolero and strappy black stilettos; the whole outfit reeked of luxury. Was this really Hino Kahoko?

"Jaa," Kahoko said, jolting Tsukimori back to reality, "I'll go now."

Tsukimori Len stood stock still as Kahoko marched past him with her head down. He stayed rooted to the spot long after her footsteps had faded completely, stood with his hands balled into fists.

_Hino Kahoko_. He never thought seeing her again would make him feel like this.

With heavy footsteps, he marched towards the Tokyo suite, determined not to let their chance meeting affect him too much.

"Oi, Tsukimori," Sato called out as he walked into the room. "We've been waiting for you. It's your turn to sing."

Tsukimori shook his great blue head.

"That means he doesn't feel like singing," Oribe translated for the rest of the group. "If you don't mind, I'd like to sing again-"

"Mou, Shuichi," Hinata playfully complained. "You've been singing the whole night!"

"Well if Tsukimori here isn't planning to sing, I'll graciously cover for him-"

Tsukimori sat on the plush scarlet couch in front of the large plasma screen and surveyed the scene before him. There were more or less thirty people in the Tokyo suite, but he was familiar with only four faces. Sato, perched on a stool near the wine bar, was chatting animatedly with a group of starstruck college girls. Oribe had gotten to his feet, microphone in hand, and was now preparing to sing another sappy ballad amidst the cheers of his freshly formed fan club. Hinata was quietly conversing with a handsome yuppie in one corner of the room, laughing a bit too loudly every few seconds. Takishima was walking towards him, holding two glasses of red wine.

"What's wrong?" he said, offering Tsukimori one of the glasses. "You look depressed."

"It's nothing," Tsukimori said, accepting the proffered wine.

"Come on," Takishima chided. "It's easy to see you're bothered about something. Your face is actually showing some emotion – it's pretty big, huh?"

Tsukimori chose not to answer. Instead, he downed the contents of the entire glass in one go.

"Oi, oi," Takishima warned. "Why are you drinking so recklessly all of a sudden?"

Heavily setting the glass on the low coffee table, Tsukimori maintained his silence and continued to brood. Takishima sighed.

"You should at least offer some sort of explanation," he said, ruffling his hair in frustration. "I came up with this event at the last minute and this is how you show your gratitude? I even invited some of my friends to hang out with us-"

"I never asked you to prepare all this-"

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?" Sato called out, waving his hands in the air to attract the partygoers' attention. "Tonight's celebration is a welcome party for that ill-tempered man over there, Tsukimori Len. Please give him a warm round of applause as he returns to the motherland after six long years!"

Tsukimori felt rather than saw thirty pairs of eyes turn his way as cheers and claps resounded across the room. Despite himself, he suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Also, this event would not be possible without the generosity of Takishima Makoto, that dashing Casanova in the leather jacket, who graciously gathered all of us here at his expense," Sato continued. "For this, let's give him a warm round of applause and the continued patronage of Takishima Electronics," he added, making everyone laugh.

"For tonight's feature presentation, four breathtaking ladies from the Maradonna College of Music will perform for us a very special piece," he motioned towards his left, where the girls he had been chatting with earlier were setting up musical instruments. "Amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, a little breather is exactly what we need. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Maradonna ladies performing Mozart's _Eine Kleine Nachmusik_!"

On cue, the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on the four girls. At first there was silence. And then-

They began to play. A rousing entrance… lively and melodious, the sounds sparkling and captivating everyone in the room. Except Tsukimori Len. He was watching their performance carefully. _That one needs to improve her bowing. And _she_ needs to be more faithful to the score. The third one has bad posture. But at least one of them is playing well… _

Even he, however, could not deny they played in a charming manner. Despite their poor technique, there was something about their music that made people's eyes close as they bobbed their head to the rhythm.

_Just like her._

Hadn't they played the same piece once? Many, many years ago? She had slipped up at first, but she managed to regain her composure in the second half. _All she needed was a little more confidence._

Surprised at himself, Tsukimori wondered why it didn't hurt to think about her. He found he actually _wanted _to think about her, to engage in an old habit he thought he had long ago discarded…

"_I'm leaving on the first flight tomorrow," he whispered as he played with her fingers. Seeing the look on her face, he smiled slightly and told her, "There's no need to look so sad. I promise to keep in touch…" _

_An odd, closed emotion flickered in Kahoko's eyes._

"_I doubt we'll be able to contact each other often," she said sadly, her thumb engaging his in a playful wrestling match. "You have a completely different life to adjust to, after all…" Kahoko sighed. "In any case, you'll come home eventually, won't you?" _

_He stole a glance at her face. She looked forlorn, as sad as she was when she believed she had to give up the violin._

"_Missing me already?" he asked lightly, reading her mind. _

_She raised an eyebrow at him. _

"_Are you teasing me, Tsukimori Len?" _

_In reply, he took her hand and softly pressed his lips against it. "Maybe."_

_She smiled. At that precise moment, a gentle breeze blew her hair around her face, the cherry blossoms dancing around her like pink-colored snow falling from the sky. _

_He thought she never looked more beautiful. _

"_I want you to come with me," he told her, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Come with me to Vienna, Kahoko." _

_Her rich brown eyes widened. _

"_B-but," she said, not meeting his gaze._

"_If we weren't so young I'd ask you to marry me right now," he admitted, his face turning a deep shade of red as he looked away. "But based on your reaction, I guess I'll have to wait for some time." _

"_No, that's not it, I-"_

"_Exactly two years from now," he continued, straightening up, his face still slightly flushed, "meet me at this bridge at one in the afternoon. On that day…I intend to propose to you." _

"_W-what?!" _

_He smiled faintly, seeing the dumbstruck look on her face._

"_At this moment, I am incapable of giving you the life you deserve," he said, speaking so low he was almost whispering, "But in two years' time," he paused, his gaze full of meaning, "I promise I will come back. And there will be no need for us to be separated again…" _

"_Len…" _

"_Kahoko," he said firmly. "I'm giving you two years to decide if you want to spend the rest of your life with me. If you don't want to, you can always not show up-" _

"_Tsukimori!"_

"_But of course I wish you'd be there," he finished, still smiling. _

_Kahoko was still flustered. _

"_You've really gotten cockier, you know?" she told him. Then, much to his surprise, she punched his shoulder playfully. "I'll take you on, Tsukimori Len. But only on one condition."_

"_Which is?" he inquired, grasping the hand that rested on his shoulder. _

"_Don't play any violin duets until I'm good enough to play with you." _

_This took him by surprise. _

"_Yes, all right," he agreed. "I promise."_

"_Oh, and another thing-"_

"_Hm?"_

"_I know it's selfish of me to ask this much," she began, staring at her feet, "but can you promise not to fall in love with anyone in Vienna? I never thought I'd say this aloud, but," she inhaled deeply, blushing fiercely, "I can't stand the thought of you being with anyone else. I guess I want you all for myself," she added laughing. _

_Then suddenly, she sobered up. "Although I'll completely understand if you go out on dates with other girls. J-just try not to fall in love with any of them, okay?" _

_He stared, flustered as well. Then he held out his little finger. _

"_It's a promise then," he said._

_It was her turn to stare, an unbelieving look on her face as she considered his outstretched pinky. _

"_What has gotten into you today-?"_

"_Just..!" he flushed deeper. _

_Seeing the expression on his face, she smiled happily and hooked her little finger with his. _

"_It's a promise." _

"Tsukimori, you're spacing out."

He blinked and found Takishima staring at him, worried. It appeared the performance was over; Oribe had once again monopolized the microphone, and the volume of chatter was rising. Tsukimori couldn't believe he had let himself over-think.

"Sorry," he said, holding his hand up to his hair. "I was thinking of something."

Takishima frowned.

"That much was obvious," he stated. "Do you want another glass-?"

Too late. Tsukimori had already wiped out a glass of scotch that was on the table.

"What happened to drinking only red wine?!" Takishima exclaimed, truly alarmed now. "Oi, Tsukimori, listen to me. Tsukimori! Where are you going?"

He found himself on his feet, Takishima ogling him from the couch. Mechanically, his legs began to walk out of the room, past the worried faces of his friends.

"What's wrong with Len?" Hinata asked Takishima.

_I'll tell you what's wrong with me_, Tsukimori thought. _I want to know why she stood me up. When she promised me she would be there-_

"Oi, Tsukimori," he heard Sato call out. "Where are you going?"

_I'm going to find her, and make her tell me the truth!_

"Tsukimori," Oribe said, gripping his arm. "You're not drunk, are you?"

"No, Oribe, I'm not," Tsukimori assured him, completely aware that half the guests were now watching the scene he was making. "I just have to find someone …"

"There's no need," said a smooth, female voice. "I'm right here."

Startled, Tsukimori turned towards the voice, already knowing who it would be. Sure enough, there she stood at the doorway, in a little green dress and black heels.

"Erika-chan, hisashiburi!" Takishima called out, genuinely pleased. "So it was you who was tormenting Tsukimori the whole night. You sly old dog," he teased, ruffling his friend's hair.

"Erika-chan, how long have you been here?" Hinata said, approaching the newcomer. "You should have said something; we would have met you at the airport."

"I only got here last night, Aya-san," Erika replied, smiling. "I was planning to surprise everyone…"

"We're surprised, all right," Sato said, throwing an arm around the frozen Tsukimori. "Right, Ice Cube?"

"Come to think of it," Takishima said thoughtfully, as if struck by a sudden realization. "Tsukimori arrived this morning. He never said why he came back to Japan…"

"Don't tell me you came to follow Erika-chan?" Oribe cried, looking at Tsukimori with wide eyes. "This is more interesting than I thought!"

As their friends proceeded to tease and poke him, Tsukimori risked a glance at Erika. She had stopped smiling, but she was looking at him with a strange expression on her face.

"Have you fallen in love with me at last?" she asked softly, so he was the only one who would hear. Quickly, Tsukimori looked away.

He had never been one to lie.

**A/N: **

Gah! The cutesy-couple scene was a killer! If I had my way, I'd write pure comedy my whole life through. Sadly, the only things I can write are stories that pretend to be serious. And I can't even pull_ those _off, wah. Writing Len is such a headache.

**NB:**

_Nodame Cantabile _fans will recognize Maradonna. I tried to remember the name of Chiaki and Nodame's school, but I couldn't, and I was too lazy to research via dial-up. Since Maradonna sounded official enough, I ended up using that instead. Oh, and yes, Ice Cube and Friends are a cheap rehash of the world-famous F4.

**Next: **

**Chapter 5: Disaster at the Konbini**

"_Mou, Nami-chan," Mio complained loudly, unsteady on her feet. "The tissues are here; where are you going?" _

_Kahoko paled as her friends disappeared behind the noodle section. _

"_Will they be okay?" she whispered to Ryoutaro. _

"_I'm pretty sure they will be," he replied. "Do you want to buy something?" _


	6. Chapter 5

**Ultra A/N:**

This is an alternate retelling of _Bridging the Gap. _It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.

**Chapter 5: Disaster at the Konbini**

**A/N: **

I have yet to write anything that's concise. It's embarrassing to admit that even at this length, my story has yet to unfold. Then again, maybe that's because I didn't really plan ahead – I'm just 'writing as I go'. I want to apologize for my lack of direction, although I have to admit, I love this fanfic very much. I'm determined to see it through even if it takes 30+ chapters. *makes the sign of the cross* Just as I've never written anything brief, I have also never finished a full-blown chaptered story. I intend to change that with this though. Anyway! Filler chapter up ahead!

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own _La Corda d'Oro_; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.

**Previously:**

**Chapter 4: Old Habits Die Hard**

"_Tsukimori," Oribe said, gripping his arm. "You're not drunk, are you?"_

"_No, Oribe, I'm not," Tsukimori assured him, completely aware that half the guests were now watching the scene he was making. "I just have to find someone..."_

"_There's no need," said a smooth, female voice. "I'm right here." _

**Chapter 5: Disaster at the Konbini**

Hino Kahoko hugged herself, walking blindly after her inebriated friends. It was past three in the morning, and because Nami had insisted that her apartment had run out of toilet paper, they were headed towards a 24-hour konbini a few blocks away. Nao had gone home early to prepare for work the next day, which Kahoko considered a blessing, because Nao, when drunk, was a nightmare to deal with. The worst Nami and Mio could do was sing at the top of their lungs.

She sighed, hoping she could be as carefree as the two of them. Right now, however, a huge problem had arisen because of Tsukimori Len's homecoming, and she needed to be alert even though Erika said she would handle things.

"_I'm sorry for breaking my promise, Kaho-senpai," Erika had said when Kahoko called to tell her what happened. "I didn't know he was coming back so soon. It was an uncharacteristic move on his part, and I'm still trying to figure out his reasons." _

"_Maybe it's a family problem?"_

"_His father's company is doing well, so we can eliminate that motive," Erika deduced. "Regarding the health of his family members, all of them appear to be fine. I'll try to investigate a bit further, but it might take a while." _

"_How are you going to do that?" Erika asked suspiciously. "You're not going to do something illegal, are you?"_

"_That's my problem," Erika said. "Speaking of which, you don't have to think about this incident with Len. I'll smoothen things out, so don't worry. Jaa." _

_My head's starting to hurt_, she thought, massaging her temple.

"Kaho?" she heard Tsuchiura ask. "What's wrong?"

Kahoko snapped out of her thoughts and found Tsuchiura looking at her with concern.

"Nothing," she denied, as cheerfully as she could.

Tsuchiura didn't seem to believe her.

"Something's been bothering you since you got back from Okinawa," he observed. "Even though you try to hide it, and you make it look as though you're okay, I think you're trying too hard to be cheerful. That's one sure sign you're worried about something."

Kahoko laughed.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?" she said, smiling. "But… although I appreciate your concern, this is one thing I have to face on my own."

"If it's about that _Ojousama_-"

Kahoko shook her head.

"Please stay out of it," she begged him. "I'm not in any danger actually. There are just some personal matters that I have to… smoothen out."

Tsuchiura sighed.

"If you need anything," he began, looking away, "just tell me, okay?"

Kahoko nodded, smiling genuinely this time.

"I'm… here."

Kahoko looked away. She didn't know how to respond.

"Kaho-senpai," a sleepy voice said from behind her. She turned around and saw Keiichi, still lugging an unconscious Shouko on his back. "Is it okay if we go on ahead…? Shouko's parents will have a fit if I don't bring her home."

"Of course, Keiichi-kun," Kahoko said, guilty that she had been too immersed in her worries to notice him. "I'm sure you're tired after today. Will you be all right?"

"Yes… We'll be fine."

"I'll go get you a cab," Tsuchiura offered.

"Congratulations again on your engagement," Kahoko said with a smile. "If I had known that's why we were celebrating, I would have gotten there much faster!"

"Thank you, Kaho-senpai," Keiichi said, his face angelic.

"I wish you happiness-"

"Save it for the wedding," Tsuchiura interrupted, his eyes twinkling. "The taxi's waiting."

"Goodbye then, Kaho-senpai, Tsuchiura-senpai," Keiichi said, getting into the cab. "Please tell Mio-san… and Nami-san… that we went ahead. And, if you could… please inform us if Hihara-senpai… gets back from filming."

Kahoko laughed nervously. _Does Keiichi think that, too? _

Waving the taxi goodbye even long after it had disappeared, Kahoko mulled on Keiichi and Shouko's engagement. Apparently, he had proposed during their world tour, on top of the Empire State Building. _I never thought Keiichi would be such a hopeless romantic_, Kahoko thought, smiling. _But finally, he's proposed!_

"Jealous?"

"W-what?!"

"Kahoko! Ryoutaro!" Mio called, waving. She and Nami were already in front of the konbini. "You're so slow! Come on!"

Grimacing inwardly, Kahoko ran after them, Tsuchiura at her heel.

There were no other customers in the tiny konbini. At the counter, the two cashiers were watching something out of a tiny TV, giving Kahoko and the others brief bows before returning to their show. Giggling, Nami swayed past the first few shelves, heading towards a shelf filled with wine.

"Mou, Nami-chan," Mio complained loudly, unsteady on her feet. "The tissues are here; where are you going?"

Kahoko paled as her friends disappeared behind the noodle section.

"Will they be okay?" she whispered to Ryoutaro.

"I'm pretty sure they will be," he replied. "Do you want to buy something?"

They walked over to the refrigerators at the back of the store, facing a wide assortment of drinks and beverages. While bickering over which was the best brand of orange juice, Kahoko and Tsuchiura were interrupted by the sound of several objects hitting the floor consecutively.

"Nami-chan? Nami-chan, are you okay?"

Rushing to the source of the noise, Kahoko and Tsuchiura found Nami lying on the konbini floor, surrounded by cup noodles. She was unconscious.

"Nami?"

"Here, let's pull her up-"

"Where's Mio?" Kahoko said suddenly. "She was here a moment ago."

They heard Mio's shrill laugh coming from the counter area.

"Go look after her," Tsuchiura said. "I'll deal with Nami here."

_Now my head's _really _starting to hurt._

She found Mio entertaining the two cashiers with an impromptu song and dance number. The two men were clapping along with her, grinning as though they were humoring her. For some reason, Kahoko felt they were used to this sort of behavior. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her head, she reached out to Mio.

"Mio," Kahoko said as her friend began flapping her arms. "Mio, don't do anything you'll regret in the morning."

"Kaho-chan," Mio said, singsong-like. Kahoko cringed, remembering Erika. "These guys are really nice. Let's come here again, okay?"

"Okay, Mio. Now come along. Nami's collapsed so we have to bring her home-"

Mio was not listening. She was looking at something behind Kahoko, her mouth hanging open. "Is that-?"

Kahoko turned around. Entering the konbini at that exact moment was a group of people, talking and laughing loudly. At the front of the pack was a man in a leather jacket, shaking his magnificent black head with a grin on his face. Behind him were two men, one blond and one grey haired, laughing with their arms around a scowling lady with flowing orange locks. At the rear of the pack, engaged in conversation, was a couple. The man had cerulean blue hair; the girl was a brunette. She had her arm linked around his.

"Come on," Kahoko demanded, pulling Mio with more force than she had intended.

Miraculously, Mio kept quiet as Kahoko dragged her to hide behind one of the shelves. Surreptitiously, they watched the new customers scatter and head towards different directions. The couple had gone to the refrigerators at the back of the store.

Kahoko paled. _Tsukimori Len_. _What was he doing here? _

Knowing the best course of action was escaping as soon as possible, Kahoko straightened up and decided to look for Tsuchiura and Nami. Wordlessly, she felt for Mio's hand.

But her friend wasn't there!

"Mio!" Kahoko groaned softly. She began to walk as quietly as she could, hoping she would find Mio before anyone else did.

Her prayers went unanswered.

"Miss, are you all right?" came a man's alarmed reply.

Slapping her forehead, Kahoko ran towards the speaker's voice, unmindful of the noise her heels were making. She found Mio behind the electronics shelf, slumped in the arms of the grey haired man, who was looking at her with concerned eyes.

Kahoko bent to talk to him.

"Anou, sumimasen," she began softly. "That woman is my friend. Thanks for your help, but I'll take things from here."

The man nodded and tried to shift Mio. But she wouldn't let go of his shirt.

"You smell good," she muttered unconsciously. And then she threw up.

Shocked at vomit landing unceremoniously all over him, the man yelled. Almost instantly, several pairs of feet scuffled to get to where Kahoko gazed at the scene before her in alarm.

"What's going on here?"

The speaker was the man in the leather jacket. Together with the two cashiers and the blond guy, he surveyed the commotion from one end of the shelves.

"Is something wrong?" Kahoko heard a woman's voice ask.

Tsukimori and Erika walked over and stood behind their friends. Kahoko saw Erika's eyes widen in shock, her lips parting in surprise.

"Kahoko?" Tsukimori asked, disbelief etched on his face.

"You know her?" the blond asked his friend. A strange expression was on the face of the black-haired man as he met Kahoko's eyes.

"Kaho!"

Tsuchiura Ryoutaro appeared on the other end of the shelves, carrying Nami on his arms, the orange-haired girl standing beside him.

"Tsuchiura?"

"Tsukimori?!"

"What's going on here?" the grey haired man asked in confusion. "Do you guys know each other?"

Tsukimori looked at his friend.

"We went to the same high school," was all he said, averting his gaze suddenly.

_That's it?_

Kahoko felt her fists clench. Taking her gaze off the floor, she stood up.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," she said, addressing the grey haired man with a deep bow. "I'll go find a towel, excuse me."

She turned to Tsuchiura's direction, feeling several pairs of eyes fixed on her back. As she took one step forward, however, the world titled to the right. The floor split into two and Tsuchiura's worried face blurred. _Oh no. _

Someone called her name before she crumpled to the ground.

**A/N: **

True-blue filler chapter. It wasn't that important, but I felt like writing it in. I had trouble with Shimizu. I can't imagine a still narcoleptic Shimizu at age 23.

**Next: **

**Chapter 6: The Morning After**

"_Since when have you been standing there?" Kahoko muttered in a low voice, hugging herself involuntarily. _

_Tsuchiura looked at his hands._

"_I have something to say," he said, "and I'm only gonna say it once." _

"_Ryou…" _

"_I know you only think of me as a friend," he began in a low voice, "but to me, you never were and you never will be just a friend. Even though it's obvious that you're still in love with Tsukimori," he took a deep breath, "I just can't stop thinking about you." _


	7. Chapter 6

**Ultra A/N:**

This is an alternate retelling of _Bridging the Gap. _It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.

**Chapter 6: The Morning After**

**A/N: **

I'm really truly honestly thankful that I fell in love with La Corda d'Oro over the sembreak. If I hadn't discovered it with such good timing, I wouldn't have the motivation *free time, ehem, free time* to write this fanfic, which brings me great happiness. Aha.

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own _La Corda d'Oro_; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.

**Previously:  
Chapter 5: Disaster at the Konbini**

"_I'm sorry for causing you trouble," she said, addressing the grey haired man with a deep bow. "I'll go find a towel, excuse me." _

_She turned to Tsuchiura's direction, feeling several pairs of eyes fixed on her back. As she took one step forward, however, the world titled to the right. The floor split into two and Tsuchiura's worried face blurred. Oh no. _

**Chapter 6: The Morning After **

_The sound of tires screeching. Her hair slapping against her face. Someone screaming in terror. The world tumbled and spun in an explosion of color, leaving her numb but at the same time overwhelmed by a mass of conflicting sensations. A loud crash, a final scream. And then nothing…_

Kahoko's eyes flew open, her breathing labored and irregular. Feeling extremely disoriented, she put a hand up to her face, her fingers touching beads of sweat on her forehead. She exhaled and tried to steady her heartbeat, trying not to panic. It took her a while to realize that it was only a dream. Everything was just a nightmare.

_Just a nightmare. _

Sitting up gingerly, Kahoko found herself inside a sparsely decorated white room, where the only pieces of furniture were the bed she had slept in and a long cabinet spanning the entire wall to her right. To her left were large glass windows, covered by immaculate floor length curtains.

_Where am I? _

Getting to her feet, she realized she was still wearing the same outfit from the night before. While she slept, her hair had turned into a mess, and now unruly strands were sticking up in all directions. The shoes Erika bought for her were nowhere in sight.

Barefooted, she walked out of the room, still confused. If logic served her right, someone had taken her home after she passed out in the konbini. This room was unfamiliar, yet she had a feeling she had been here before. Disregarding Nami and Mio, whose bedrooms were like old friends to her, the only choice left was Tsuchiura. She was probably in his apartment.

Sure enough, when she opened the door, the smell of fried rice welcomed her. She resisted the urge to laugh. He used to cook fried rice for her all the time.

_Unlike Len_…

Sober, Kahoko found Tsuchiura behind a sleek marble kitchentop, cooking with a pale blue apron on. She was happy to notice that the kitchen looked familiar, even friendly. They had often baked pastries together, Tsuchiura fond of berating her every time she made a mistake.

"Good morning to you," he joked. "You look like you're still asleep."

"Hm," Kahoko acknowledged, sitting on a stool before him. "Thanks for taking care of me. And Nami and Mio, too, I presume. Did they leave early?"

"Yeah," he said, transferring the fried rice onto a plate. "Nami left before I even got up; she left a note saying she had a deadline this afternoon. Mio woke up about an hour ago, but she said she'd eat at home. So I guess you'll have to eat brunch with me," he said, pushing a plate of fried rice and steak in front of her.

"Thanks," Kahoko said. She felt her mouth water. "Itadakimasu."

Tsuchiura smiled as he sat on the stool beside her and began to eat as well.

"You're lucky Mr. Leather Jacket caught you," he said. "For a moment I thought you'd hit the floor for sure, but he was quite quick on the uptake."

"I have to thank him then," Kahoko said. "If we meet again, that is."

"Do you have an idea why you fainted?"

"Probably because I was hungry," Kahoko answered in between bites. "_And_ stressed."

Tsuchiura played with his fork.

"I actually thought it was the shock of seeing Tsukimori again," he joked. "We haven't seen him since high school, have we?"

"Hmmm…" Kahoko agreed, pensive.

"You still like him," Tsuchiura stated, staring at his plate.

"This steak is really good!" Kahoko exclaimed suddenly. She had wiped out her entire plate.

"H-how did you do that?!" Tsuchiura wondered aloud, amazed.

"Can I have more?" Kahoko asked, holding her plate up.

"Y-yeah, sure…"

As Tsuchiura piled her plate with more food, Kahoko smiled and began to speak.

"Like you said, it's been six years," she said. "A lot of things have happened since then, and both of us have changed. He's not the guy we used to know, and I've changed as well. Simply put… we live separate lives now."

"That doesn't answer my question," Tsuchiura said, handing back her plate.

"That wasn't even a question."

"Stop changing the topic!"

Kahoko sighed deeply.

"I just want to forget him right now," she said honestly. "I want to move on. Besides," she added, a trace of bitterness evident in her voice, "_he _has."

They finished the rest of the meal in silence.

XXX

"Nothing's changed around here," Kahoko noted, drying her hands on a towel. They had just finished washing the dishes from their brunch, joking and catching up with each other's lives, and she was now observing his spacious living room.

Like his bedroom, the rest of Tsuchiura's high-rise apartment was painted in pristine white and sparsely decorated. In the middle of the living room was a long white couch facing a large plasma TV, the balcony overlooking the city lying in the background. In an area adjacent to the living room, Tsuchiura's baby grand stood bathed in shadows of the early afternoon.

Kahoko walked over to the far end of the living room, where a long glass table was decorated with trophies, medals and a couple of framed photos. Fingering Tsuchiura's gold medal for being MVP of the last soccer season, she bent slightly to be at eye level with the pictures on display.

There was a picture of the Seiso soccer club during their time, familiar faces in high school uniforms standing in an expansive green field. There was also a picture of a young Tsuchiura and his father, smiling at the camera as they sat on stadium bleachers. Beside that was a family portrait, taken candidly such that Tsuchiura, his parents, older sister and younger brother looked genuinely, offhandedly happy. Next to that was a photo taken some years ago, during the vacation Nami organized before Manami left for Canada; in it, Kahoko, Tsuchiura and their other friends were smiling happily with tall, snow-capped mountains in the background.

The smile on Kahoko's face disappeared as she saw the last frame facedown. She didn't think it would still be there…

Slowly, she righted the unadorned silver frame. It contained a photo of her and Tsuchiura in traditional Japanese dress, her arm wrapped around his. The picture had been their first as a couple; it was during a festival in their hometown when Kahoko finally agreed to go out with Tsuchiura.

She hadn't expected the picture to still be on display.

"You're right," Tsuchiura spoke softly from behind her. "Nothing's changed."

Returning the frame to its original position, Kahoko straightened up, her face burning. Tsuchiura was standing right behind her, his searching gaze causing her to flush even deeper.

"Since when have you been standing there?" Kahoko muttered in a low voice, hugging herself involuntarily.

Tsuchiura looked at his hands.

"I have something to say," he said, "and I'm only gonna say it once."

"Ryou…"

"I know you only think of me as a friend," he began in a low voice, "but to me, you never were and you never will be _just _a friend. Even though it's obvious that you're still in love with Tsukimori," he took a deep breath, "I just can't stop thinking about you."

He looked away, his eyes glazed over.

"That's why," he continued, "I've decided to keep liking you even if you don't feel the same way about me. I'm not going to force my company on you, but… if ever you need me, I want you to know I'm right here. If things don't work out between you and Tsukimori, I want you to know that I'm still waiting for you."

He met her eyes. "I won't pursue you because I want you to be happy," he said. "And because I don't want my sacrifice to go to waste, I wish you'd go after what you want. Allow yourself to love him again, Kaho. Fight for him, if you have to. Everybody deserves a shot at happiness."

Kahoko shuffled her feet.

"It's not as if he'd welcome me back with open arms," she muttered. "He's obviously moved on with his life…"

"That girl he was with?" Tsuchiura asked, thoughtful. "Yeah, they did seem pretty close. But, from the little I know of that man, he's still affected by your presence. You're not exactly easy to forget," he added in a whisper. "I should know."

Kahoko blushed deeply.

"Don't look so guilty!" Tsuchiura teased, laughing. "It's not your fault I like you, and besides, you're not in charge of other people's feelings. Just concentrate on trying to make yourself happy."

He ruffled her hair playfully.

"You might be doing someone else a favor."

XXX

Later that afternoon, as Kahoko stood at her front door waving Tsuchiura goodbye, she mulled over the things he said.

_Everybody deserves a shot at happiness._

Kahoko groaned inwardly. She didn't want to hurt Tsuchiura anymore, but it wasn't as if she could do anything. Although he knew she was incapable of reciprocating his affections, he was still ready to support her. Flattered by his sincerity, but unable to erase her feelings of guilt, Kahoko felt the sudden urge to cry.

It was all too much.

As she lethargically fished in her purse for her house key, a car pulled up on the street behind her. Shocked, Kahoko turned around hastily, expecting to see a fuming Erika. Indeed, the instant she saw the emerald sports convertible before her, she began to panic, instinctively cooking up excuses to explain the incident at the konbini. Her shock transformed into great astonishment when it was not Erika who stepped out of the car.

It was Hihara Kazuki. He was hiding under a cap and sunglasses, but he was still glaringly conspicuous.

"Kaho-chan!" he greeted enthusiastically, grinning widely. "I got a new car. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Kazuki," Kaho exhaled, feeling slightly nauseous. "Yeah, that's a cool car. It's so…" she gesticulated wildly, trying to come up with a sensible adjective. "Green."

Hihara laughed.

"For my hair, see?" he said lightly, tugging his bangs to illustrate.

"I thought you'd be gone for a couple of days."

"I got a message from Yunoki saying he's back in town," Hihara said, his loud voice carrying across the street. "He's throwing a party next week, and he asked me to invite you. He seems to think we're… going out," Hihara explained, blushing.

_Him and the rest of the world. _

"And you're going, Kazuki-kun?"

"Of course!" he replied without hesitation. "I want to see everyone again; I think Yunoki's planning to invite some people from Seiso."

_Which is the problem. _

"D-do you want to go with me, Kaho-chan?" Hihara asked, relatively calmly, although his face was becoming redder by the moment. "U-unless you've got other plans…"

Kahoko looked up at his innocent face. She didn't want to hurt him but-

"I'm sorry, Kazuki," she answered softly. "I don't think I'll be going."

"But why?!" Hihara exclaimed loudly.

"I'm getting uncomfortable with the media," Kahoko lied, although it was partly true. "Everyone seems to think we're an item-"

"Then we can go separately," Hihara reasoned. "We don't have to go together. You shouldn't miss Yunoki's welcome party for fear of the paparazzi."

"No, really, I don't think I should go-"

Hihara considered her for a while, cocking his head to one side.

"Come with me," he said, suddenly grabbing her hand. "I'm taking you to Yunoki so he can persuade you personally-"

"Kazuki-"

"Then we could go for a spin-"

"No, Kazuki!"

She flung her hand out of his grip. Hihara stood frozen, staring at her.

"I-I'm sorry," Kahoko apologized. "I didn't mean to-"

"Kaho-chan…"

"Gomenasai, Kazuki," Kahoko said, bowing her head, "but I will not be attending that party. Please send Yunoki-senpai my sincerest apologies."

Having said this, Kahoko ran down the street, leaving an immobile Hihara staring after her. She didn't know where she was headed for, but at this point, she really didn't care. All she wanted was to be left alone, to be given some time to collect her thoughts.

_He'll be at the party for sure. Yunoki will probably invite him, and it's almost guaranteed that Erika will force him to attend. _

She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't know what to say if they ever had the chance to converse. Given a choice, she would rather be as far from him as possible, making sure that they'd never cross paths. She didn't think she could lie to him if he demanded some answers.

Kahoko ceased running, slowing down to a sluggish trot. If she were honest with herself, she would say she wanted to see him again. Meeting him in that karaoke bar, even at the worst possible moment under the worst possible circumstances… It made her heart somersault. Standing there in his dark slacks and elbow-length white shirt, he looked positively…

_Hot,_ Kahoko admitted. There was no other word for it.

As if realizing the profundity of her surrender, she shook her head in frustration, as though doing so would erase the fact that she found Tsukimori Len tempting.

_Fur Elise _began to play suddenly. Erika was calling. Feeling apprehensive, Kahoko answered the call. "Moshi moshi?"

"Kaho-senpai?" came Erika's clear voice. It was serious this time. "Have you heard about Azuma's welcome party?"

"Yes, Kazuki invited me."

"Will you be going?" Erika asked.

"No, I don't think I should be there."

"On the contrary, you _should_ be there," Erika said, surprising Kahoko. "This party is unlike any other, Kaho-senpai. It's an open challenge from Azuma to _me_."

"So why do I have to be there?" Kahoko asked, not understanding.

"Azuma thinks I made friends with you so I could turn you into a tool against him," Erika explained. "He thinks I'm using you to come between our possible engagement - emphasis on possible; it's different from probable."

"I really don't get it," Kahoko admitted.

Erika sighed.

"You are, without a doubt, the densest girl I've _ever_ met," she said. "Nevertheless, my point is, because he doesn't want you caught between our families, aka he doesn't want you anywhere near his grandmother, he's going to try to prove that there's nothing going on between the two of you. _So_," Erika said, pausing for effect, "he's going to play matchmaker to you and Hihara Kazuki, and he'll make sure the whole world knows it. Hence, the welcome party."

"He's going to pair me up with Kazuki?" Kahoko asked, unbelieving. "He can't do that!"

"He can and he will," Erika guaranteed. "I'm not going to divulge his plans, but I'm telling you right now to accept Hihara Kazuki's invitation. Oh, and when you go outside anytime this week, make sure you look your best. Trust me on this."

"Right…" Kahoko asked.

"If you haven't got any other questions-"

"Hang on," Kahoko interrupted. "Why did Len come home? Is someone sick?"

Erika didn't reply immediately.

"It's nothing serious, really," she said. "Apparently, Hamai Misa-san wanted him to help out for his grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. It's going to be grand, I think; they're planning a music fest theme. Len's been assigned with finding the right performers for the event, including choosing the songs to be played, so he came home to talk to his grandparents personally about the concept they had in mind."

"That's… unexpected," Kahoko said, although she thought odd was a more fitting adjective. "When is this event then?"

"November."

"But that's four months from now!"

"I told you it's a big thing," Erika said impatiently. "Listen, although I'd love to chat, I'm afraid I have to go now; I'm cooking dinner tonight. I'll see you in Azuma's party then."

And she hung up.

Frowning slightly, Erika put the phone back in her purse. Now she had to call Hihara and tell him she had changed her mind. She searched for her other phone, the one with her original contacts list, but she realized she had last seen it during the kidnapping fiasco. Sighing, she listlessly began to walk in the direction of Café Forte, feeling oddly depressed and hating it.

She had hoped he came back for an entirely different reason.

**A/N: **

Seriously, I was nuts to try my hand at romance. Conceptualizing the mood in my head is fun enough, but writing the dialogue is absolute suicide. I used to have a poor opinion of _telenovelas_, which are melodramatic soap operas ubiquitous in the Philippines, but now I'm slowly respecting their writers for coming up with such _short, effective _dialogue. Gah.

**Next: **

**Chapter 7: Party People**

"_Yunoki-senpai sent a professional makeover team?" Nao marveled aloud. "I see he hasn't changed." _

"_I'm sorry, but I have other plans-"_

"_No, Kaho, go with her," Nao urged. "We'll meet you at the venue."_

"_But I promised Nami and Mio-"_

"_Nami and Mio don't exactly need fashion advice," Nao commented dryly. "Go on. You should never turn down the great Yunoki Azuma." _

_Chills running down her spine, Kahoko laughed nervously. _How ironically true.


	8. Chapter 7

**Ultra A/N:**

This is an alternate retelling of _Bridging the Gap. _It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.

**Chapter 7: Party People**

**A/N:**

I originally conceptualized the party scene to be made up of just one chapter, but it turned out to be a bit long. So I cut it into half, ending the chapter just right after a good shock. Ahahaha.

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own _La Corda d'Oro_; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.

**Previously:  
Chapter 6: The Morning After**

"_Kaho-senpai?" came Erika's clear voice. It was serious this time. "Have you heard about Azuma's welcome party?" _

"_Yes, Kazuki invited me." _

"_Will you be going?" Erika asked. _

"_No, I don't think I should be there." _

"_On the contrary, you should be there," Erika said, surprising Kahoko. "This party is unlike any other, Kaho-senpai. It's an open challenge from Azuma to me." _

**Chapter 7: Party People**

"Kaho, there's another one of them outside."

Kahoko turned slowly in her seat, pulling her cap lower. Indeed, a man with a large black camera was standing outside Café Forte, snapping pictures of her shamelessly.

"I'll go take care of it," Yuuji, Nao's head waiter, offered, already walking towards the perpetrator.

"Thanks, Yuuji," Kahoko whispered, bending lower to make herself more inconspicuous. Seeing her friend's position, Nao laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?"

"You should take a good look at yourself," Nao said, wiping her eyes. "Hiding under that baseball cap makes you look more like Kazuki. Now you're _really_ in trouble."

"Nao, you're not helping!" Kahoko complained.

Today, she had tried to hide under a baseball cap, a grey sweatshirt and loose pants. Yesterday, she had worn a dark, plain corporate outfit. The day before that, she had locked herself in her apartment, refusing to come out. All these endeavors she had undertaken to become inconspicuous to the media - to no avail.

They seemed to know her every move: they trailed her around as she went jogging, visited the supermarket, met with producers interested in her work – there was no escaping them! Kahoko finally made sense of Erika's fashion tip; she really needed to look her best if she was going to be photographed every five seconds. And yet Kahoko did not want to be noticed; she just wanted to hide.

Kahoko found it difficult to believe that Yunoki was behind the paparrazi's sudden interest in her daily life. Yet she couldn't dismiss the fact that the sudden surge in her popularity was due to her _relationship_ with Hihara.

The day after she heard of Yunoki's party, every tabloid in Japan had headlines about _Hihara Kazuki _and _Hino Kahoko_, under which was plastered a photo of her flinging his hand away. Most of them implied a lovers' quarrel; others entertained the thought of Hihara harassing her. Either way, the tabloids had it wrong: none of them had heard of their actual conversation, despite Hihara's voice being loud enough to carry throughout the neighborhood.

_Speaking of conversations_, Kahoko thought, reflecting on the conversation she had with Hihara after seeing the news.

"_Kazuki, I'm so sorry!" Kahoko cried in anguish over the phone. "I didn't think it would reflect so badly on your image!"_

"_Don't worry about it!" Hihara replied cheerfully, obviously forgiving her. "Things like this happen all the time. The media has a tendency to twist the truth, as they say. After all, it's their job to present things from the most interesting perspective." _

"_But still, this could affect your career," Kahoko moaned. "Is Mimiko-san angry?" Hihara's manager was infamous for being overprotective. _

"_Nah, she actually thinks this is a good thing." _

"_How can she possibly take this calmly?" _

"_Remember the movie I'm filming right now? _My Sassy Boy_?"_

"_Er, sorry, no…"_

"_Well, you see, in this movie, I play a guy who's acting rudely towards this girl he's dating-" _

"_Why would he?" _

"_That's because he sees his dead ex-girlfriend in his current girlfriend, and he's being tormented by her memory."_

"_It sounds interesting," Kahoko said sincerely. "I'm sure it'll be a big hit." _

"_Yeah, the thing is the actress who's supposed to play my ex-girlfriend got into a fight with our director, so now she's off the cast list," he explained. "We're still looking for someone to replace her, but because of recent events…" _

_Kahoko waited for him to continue. Then it hit her. _

"_Don't tell me Mimiko-san is considering me for the part?!" _

"_Don't sound so panicked!" Hihara said hastily. "It's not a very important role. I mean – er – you don't have to say anything. We don't even have to show your face, if you don't want us to. It's just that," he paused, hesitating. "I'd really appreciate it if you accepted the part…I've always wanted to be in a movie with you…" _

Kahoko thought accepting the offer was a good way of making up for the issue she had caused. So she said yes. Apparently, it was the wrong choice because the next day, the news that she was playing Hihara's love interest in his latest movie leaked out to the press, and speculations regarding their relationship multiplied exponentially and intensified tenfold.

_There's no one to blame but me, _Kahoko thought with a sigh. She really was sighing too much these days.

"Hino Kahoko-sama," someone said from behind her.

"Please," Kahoko moaned. "Leave me alone."

"Er, Kaho," Nao said. "It's not the paparazzi."

Surprised, Kahoko spun and saw a stern but beautiful woman in a sharp black suit.

"Yamamori Umi desu," she said with a bow. "Yunoki Azuma-sama sent me to assist you in your preparations for this evening."

"Preparations?" Kahoko repeated uncomprehendingly.

"Yunoki-senpai sent a professional makeover team?" Nao marveled aloud. "I see he hasn't changed."

"I'm sorry, but I have other plans-"

"No, Kaho, go with her," Nao urged. "We'll meet you at the venue."

"But I promised Nami and Mio-"

"Nami and Mio don't exactly need fashion advice," Nao commented dryly. "Go on. You should _never_ turn down the great Yunoki Azuma."

Chills running down her spine, Kahoko laughed nervously. _How ironically true_.

XXX

That night, Kahoko found herself visibly fretting in the opulent hotel room where she had been prepped up by a team of beauty experts. The group of stylish, confident women, which included Yamamori, watched her pacing nervously as she waited for the signal that Hihara had arrived to pick her up. Had Kahoko been calm enough to observe their expressions, she would have seen the pleased smiles on their faces, proof of their pride at their success.

"Yamamori-san," Kahoko begged. "Please let me see a mirror."

"No, Hino-sama," Yamamori said. "Yunoki-sama instructed me specifically not to let you see your reflection until _right before _you enter the party venue. It seems he wishes to surprise you."

"Don't you think you're being a bit harsh, Yamamori-san?" Kahoko said. "I let you have your way with me for five straight hours, and I can't even see the results of my pain?"

"I assure you Hino-sama," Yamamori said, smiling freely for the first time that day. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about." The other women nodded in agreement.

At that moment, the door opened and one of Yamamori's subordinates entered.

"Kahoko-sama," she said, bowing slightly. "Your date has arrived."

Oblivious to the excited squeals of the ladies around her, Kahoko stood still, watching the door. Even without a mirror, she decided she would gauge her appearance based on Hihara's initial reaction. Despite her nervousness, she found herself wondering how her date would react. Somehow, she hoped he would be pleased.

For the second time, the door opened and in walked Hihara Kazuki, looking completely gorgeous in a sleek black tuxedo, his hair looking artfully windblown. His first move was to scan the room for Kahoko, and when he found her standing solo in the middle of the room, checking for his reaction with flushed cheeks, his jaw dropped.

"Kaho… chan?"

If Hihara's reaction was a good reflection of Kahoko's appearance, then she was either genuinely dazzling or indisputably hideous. Either way, she surmised she looked somehow… stunning.

She briefly wondered how Erika looked tonight.

"Kaho-chan," Hihara whispered, regaining his ability to speak. "You look simply breathtaking."

"Arigatou, Kazuki," Kahoko smiled. "Shall we go then?"

Hihara merely nodded, still looking stunned.

Turning to her saviors, Kahoko bowed deeply.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, minna-san," she said sincerely. "Thanks to your generosity, I'll surely enjoy tonight. Yamamori-san, I can't thank you enough."

For the first time, Yamamori smiled freely.

"Tonight, all the lights in Tokyo shine for you," she said.

Seeming calmer, and definitely more cheerful than usual, Hihara offered Kahoko his arm. Smiling, Kahoko accepted it, and together they exited the room amidst the cheers of Kahoko's new friends.

As they swiftly walked out of the posh Averon Suites, trailed by a flock of ardent followers led by Yamamori, the other hotel guests ogled and openly pointed at them. Flushing even deeper, Kahoko felt Hihara's hand squeeze hers reassuringly.

"Think of this as practice," he whispered. "It will be ten times more intense at the party."

A shiny stretch limousine was waiting for them at the driveway, its door held open by a straight-backed regal-looking driver. Kahoko gulped at the level of extravagance this whole event was unleashing in her friend. Seeing the look on her face, Hihara joked, "My baby didn't seem appropriate for tonight's occasion."

They settled comfortably at the back of the limousine, waving goodbye to Yamamori and the others, who gathered at the end of the driveway. Already feeling light-headed after the _first stage_ - as it turned out Yamamori wasn't a beauty expert but a professional personality consultant tasked to coach her for tonight's event - Kahoko began to inhale and exhale deeply, trying to calm down.

"You nervous?" Hihara asked her with concern.

"Yes, of course," Kahoko replied. "Didn't you feel nervous at all during your first red carpet entrance?"

"Of course, I did," Hihara replied. "But I didn't think you'd be _this_ nervous. You've been to awards ceremonies before haven't you?"

"Well, yes," Kahoko replied. "They weren't this stressful though. And the reporters didn't even know who I was, so they didn't pay me much attention."

"I'm sure they knew who you were," Hihara said. "You're a famous composer now!"

"Sometimes I wish I could just get a normal job away from the media," Kahoko admitted. "But every time one of my compositions is interpreted by an orchestra, or a singer, or a band, I feel a sort of inner peace. I love seeing and hearing my music come alive… I guess being watched all the time is a small price to pay for doing what you love."

"I think so, too," Hihara said. "I really love my job: it's fun, and I get to meet a lot of interesting and talented people. Although there are times when I wonder how my life would be if I had entered a professional orchestra, at the end of the day, doing what I do doesn't prevent me from enjoying my music. Maybe someday I'll even get to launch a side-career as a trumpeter or something-"

He stopped talking halfway, alarmed at the expression of deep sadness on Kahoko's face.

"Kaho-chan?" he asked gently. "What's wrong?"

Kahoko's head snapped up.

"Oh, was I spacing out?" Kahoko asked, apologetic. "I was thinking of something."

"Maybe you're just nervous," Hihara said with a small smile.

"Yeah, maybe…"

"Don't worry," Hihara said, squeezing her hand again. "I'll catch you if you trip on the red carpet."

Kahoko stuck a tongue out at him. He laughed, content to see she was all right.

In truth, Kahoko wasn't thinking about the party at all. She had been suddenly reminded of the circumstances leading her to pursuit of a career as a composer. They were not happy thoughts, and Kahoko did not like to think of them often.

_I had to give up the violin-_

"Oh, look, we're here," Hihara said, looking through tinted windows as the limousine pulled into a cobblestone driveway. He turned to Kahoko, whose feelings of nervousness returned full force, causing her to blanch clearly. In perfect contrast, Hihara was blushing furiously, and he looked as though he was having some sort of painful internal struggle. Apparently coming to a decision, he exhaled, met Kahoko's eyes-

And kissed her on the lips.

Completely and utterly shocked, Kahoko's eyes widened. _Ka.. zu.. ki?_

It was over just as quickly as it had begun.

They stood apart for a few heartbeats, looking into each other's eyes. Both were searching for something: one sought for answers, the other waited for confirmation. They sat immobile on their seats, their breath catching in their throats, the world melting into oblivion around them.

_Why? _asked one.

_Why not? _asked the other.

If they had been granted enough time to sort out their jumbled thoughts, they would have kept on in silence until one of them found the strength to ask unspoken questions. But the fact of the matter was, they were at one end of a red carpet flanked by the Japanese media, and the limousine door had been opened at that exact moment.

Snapping back to reality, Hihara reached out for his date. Squeezing her hand one more time, he led her out of the car and into a sea of bright, blinding camera flashes. Kahoko had to squint before adjusting to the harsh glare of a literal spotlight. When she could finally see properly, she was amazed to see dozens of press photographers and reporters lining up along the sides of the red carpet. She had never completely worried about their existence before, but then again, she had never been the focus of so much attention.

Her renewed self-consciousness must have manifested itself so visibly, because Hihara suddenly smiled at her, causing a fresh wave of camera flashes to be directed at them.

"Relax," he told her in a low voice. "Just smile and wave a bit. Like this-"

He demonstrated the standard red carpet protocol, his actions looking truly genuine, as though they weren't merely for illustration purposes. Grinning despite her anxiety, Kahoko imitated him, waving at the press and paparazzi as though she had forgiven them for invading her privacy.

As Hihara guided her forward, Kahoko began to feel at ease. She had actually seen some familiar faces in the crowd, and as she greeted them from a distance, she realized her smile had become genuine by the time she and Hihara stepped off the red carpet.

Hihara seemed to notice the change in her mood.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked her, teasing.

"It got better towards the end," Kahoko admitted. "I just didn't think there'd be so many of them. Isn't this a welcoming party for Yunoki-senpai?"

"It's not just a homecoming party, Kaho-chan," Hihara explained. "It's also an early birthday bash and a formal celebration of Yunoki's sponsorship of _Rising Star Orchestra_."

"I didn't think he was _that _rich," Kahoko muttered as they entered the Yunoki Group's luxurious corporate headquarters. "He was always being held back by his two brothers, wasn't he?"

"He made a name for himself in America," Hihara explained. "They do things a little less culture-bound there, so he found the freedom to excel as he was meant to. Although in the beginning, his family, particularly his Obaasama, thought he was becoming too liberated, in the end he made so much money and brought much pride to the Yunoki name that disinheriting him seemed foolish. He contracted the construction of this building, you know?" He examined the impressive cutting-edge design of the upper floors. "As expected of Yunoki!"

_He's not even twenty five! _Kahoko thought, amazed.

"I helped plan this party, actually," Hihara shared as they walked towards the ball room. "It's a bit… overboard, but that shouldn't be a surprise. Yunoki wants to spend some of his hard-earned money, I guess," he finished, smiling at Kahoko.

She tried to smile back, but everything she had heard had only made her more apprehensive. Suddenly, she felt seriously underdressed.

"D-don't worry, Kaho-chan," Hihara assured her, turning scarlet upon seeing the look on her face. "I'm sure you'll have fun when we meet Nami-chan and the others-"

"Just a minute, Kazuki," she interrupted. "M-may I…?"

She gestured towards the toilets, suddenly remembering Yunoki's specific instructions.

"Yeah, sure," Hihara said. "I'll wait for you right here."

"Thanks. I'll be right back."

Trying hard not to run, Kahoko headed for the ladies' room with quick strides. She had a good idea what Yunoki had in mind, but she wanted to see things for herself.

There wasn't anyone else inside the bathroom, for which Kahoko could only be grateful. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the mirror.

She heard herself gasp. Staring back at her was a beautiful woman in a sapphire silk dress, her shiny red hair wrapped in a bun that rested on her head. An exquisite pearl necklace rested on her long, white neck, complementing the pair of fine earrings she wore, and giving her attractive face a youthful glow. Kahoko looked at the woman through her skillfully curled eyelashes, her painted lips parted in surprise. Was this person… really… her?

At that moment, a group of chatting ladies entered the bathroom, shaking Kahoko back to earth. Blushing slightly, she exited the room with her head down, not oblivious to the sudden hush that fell upon the group as they stared at her retreating back. She blushed deeper.

_Yunoki-senpai… You've created a miracle yet again. _

"Kaho-chan, are you all right?" Hihara asked, seeing the look on her face.

"Y-yes, I'm all right," Kahoko said breathlessly. "Shall we go in then?"

Hihara nodded, smiling. He offered her his arm, and together they entered the ballroom.

They were greeted by the familiar melody of a classical piece – Tchaikovsky's _Dornroschen_ – playing over the room's speakers. It took Kahoko by surprise; she thought, given the large number of musicians who were expected to be here, tonight's music would be performed live. Indeed, when she saw the world-famous Japanese conductor Chiaki Shinichi being dragged around by his wife, the illustrious pianist Noda Megumi, she felt the aching desire of wanting to hear their music in person.

_So much talent pooled here and they're not even performing-_

"Don't worry," Hihara said, laughing at her reaction as the couple flitted by, the woman full of energy, the man seeming resigned. "We'll get to hear them perform with _RS _later. They're playing Mozart's _Piano Concerto No 26 in D. _Right now though," he said, smiling at her, "let's concentrate on finding the host."

Smiling as well, Kahoko nodded back, and together, they made their way through the elegantly-dressed crowd.

Hihara was right: Yunoki had gone overboard with this party. Not only had he invited the _who's who_ of Japanese society, he had also ensured that the event was well covered by the nation's top glossies. Here and there, Kahoko saw the trace of reporters, dressed to the nines themselves, walking up to people for photo ops or else taking candid pictures.

The catering, too, was out of this world; there seemed to be no definite food theme for the night. Kahoko gaped at the assortment of offerings on one of the guests' tables: lotus-wrapped rice on a plate beside tabbouleh and fromage à la crème, right next to samples of capon magro, pasta alfredo, and other exotic dishes Kahoko did not recognize. The wine was overflowing, as well. Everywhere she looked, she saw people with drinks in their hands, chatting animatedly with smiles on their faces. She remembered Erika's words,

_He's going to play matchmaker to you and Hihara Kazuki, and he'll make sure the whole world knows it. Hence, the welcome party. _

Kahoko sincerely wondered if that was Yunoki's intention. It was hard to believe he went this far not in order to celebrate, but for the sake of pairing his friends up.

She sighed. Kahoko was once again feeling ill at ease, an emotion triggered by the stares she received from Yunoki's guests. Somehow, she didn't like the curious looks she received from her fellow partygoers, particularly the cold look Yunoki Shizuka aimed at her from the other side of the ballroom. Blanching, she was thankful that Hihara led her onward, apparently still intent on searching for Yunoki.

They saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd; apparently, it was true that Yunoki had invited a good number of people from Seiso. Kahoko saw Tsuchiura's tall frame standing beside the wine bar, facing another famous soccer player, apparently deep in conversation. She saw a member of the press approach the pair, introducing himself and gesturing to his camera with a friendly smile.

_Or maybe, _Kahoko reflected as Tsuchiura turned to pose for a picture, _our schoolmates are becoming more famous in their own right. After all, Kazuki is a celebrity, Ryoutaro is an ace soccer player, Keiichi and Shouko are members of prominent orchestras abroad and Tsukimori is-_

Kahoko blushed visibly. In her awe at the grandeur of Yunoki's party, she had forgotten about him for a moment. Despite herself, she scanned the room for a familiar cerulean blue head, wondering all the while who he had invited as his date tonight.

"There he is!" Hihara boomed suddenly, surprising Kahoko and everyone within a ten-meter radius. Laughing apologetically, he pulled Kahoko towards their old friend, ignoring the strange looks the other people were directing at them.

Yunoki was standing on one corner of the room, swirling his wine glass involuntarily, his eyes filled with worry. Hihara bounded up to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders as he said, "Why so down? Last time I heard, this was your party."

Yunoki smiled and turned around.

"Who says I was-"

He stopped the moment he saw Kahoko, his eyes widening as he took in her appearance.

Kahoko blushed. She did not expect this reaction from him, of all people.

"Hino-san," Yunoki said, regaining his composure. "That dress-"

"It's beautiful, right?" Hihara interrupted, grinning happily. "The first time I saw her, I thought, 'Wow! Kaho-chan looks gorgeous! She's really all grown up,'" he mumbled, turning red as he realized the implication of his words.

Fortunately for him, Kahoko had not been listening. She was looking at Yunoki Azuma, who was still staring at her, although with a slightly more composed expression. As quietly as she could, she whispered to him, "Thank you, Yunoki-senpai."

She heard his sharp intake of breath. "Hino-san-"

"I don't believe it!"

Curious, Kahoko turned to Hihara. He was staring at something in front of him, although Kahoko could not see it because he was blocking her path.

"Hihara-senpai," Kahoko heard a familiar, deep voice say. "It's been a while."

Kahoko paled as Hihara laughed and Yunoki stiffened.

"You haven't changed at all, Tsukimori-kun," Hihara noted, still laughing. "Cold towards your friends as always. When did you arrive from Vienna?"

"Friday last week."

"I see," Hihara said. "I was out of town then. That sucks! I would have greeted you at the airport."

"It's all right, Hihara-senpai," Tsukimori said. "I know you're a busy person."

"Not as busy as you," came the good-natured reply. "Or Yunoki, here, for that matter," he added, pulling the frozen Yunoki from behind him.

Tsukimori considered his blue-haired senior.

"Yunoki-senpai, thank you for inviting me tonight," he said, voice devoid of emotion. "And thank you for inviting my friends as well."

"Ah, yes," Yunoki acknowledged, smiling. "I'm not who you should thank for that."

"Pardon?"

"Kaho-chan," Hihara said suddenly. "Kaho-chan, why are you hiding there?"

Kahoko looked up at Hihara. He didn't know of her past relationship with Tsukimori; they had started dating after he graduated from Seiso's high school department. If he knew, if he was aware that Tsukimori Len was the real reason she was so apprehensive about attending this party, would he be smiling at her so innocently at that moment, wondering why she stood rooted to the spot?

Kahoko smiled and gathered the last of her courage. Stepping forward to stand beside Hihara, she forced herself to meet Tsukimori's eyes.

"Good evening, Tsukimori-kun."

His passive expression changed as his eyes widened. Uncharacteristically, he stared at her face openly, causing her to flush even deeper, although she kept her gaze focused on him. Then, still looking hypnotized, he scrutinized her dress, a frown forming on his face.

"Where did you get that dress?" he inquired suddenly.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, surprised. She fingered her silk gown and looked at Yunoki, who was staring at her with a foreign look in his eyes. Was it… panic?

"I, uh," Kahoko began, unable to state the true source of her dress, the real culprit behind her appearance tonight. "A friend gave it to me."

Tsukimori's eyes narrowed.

"Do you know-"

"Len? There you are."

A gorgeous young woman strode forward, taking Tsukimori's arm. She was wearing a beautiful sapphire gown and pearl jewelry, her hair pinned to her head in a bun. Kahoko stared. _It can't be. _

Sawajiri Erika had come to the party looking just like her.

**A/N:**

I was a bit delirious as I wrote the last few lines of the chapter; I haven't had lunch yet. Sorry if the writing's a bit off. Gah. The second half of the party scene is the focus of the next chapter, and true to the story, _the party hasn't even started yet_. Chapter 8's gonna be another murderous one; I better go eat before I attempt it.

**NB: **

One: I really don't know how the Japanese paparazzi culture works. Just assuming.

Two: _My Sassy Boy _is a parody of the popular Korean movie, _My Sassy Girl_.

Three: Yamamori's line (_Tonight, all the lights in Tokyo shine for you_) is derived from Mameha's in _Memoirs of a Geisha._

Four: Averon Suites is fictional.

Five: _Rising Star Orchestra _was taken unabashedly from Ninomiya Tomoko-sensei's _Nodame Cantabile. _So are the characters Chiaki Shinichi and Noda Megumi.

Finally: I hope no one's angry with me for making Hihara saying the USA isn't as culture-bound as Japan. I only meant that Americans promote individuality while the Japanese value cohesiveness. I'm told that's true, in any case.

**Next: **

**Chapter 8: Revelations**

_She said all this offhandedly, and the face that was turned to Kahoko was calm. Her eyes, however, burned with raw hate._

"_Do you deny it?" _

_Just by looking at Kahoko's face, stained by tear tracts and crumpled in anguish, one could surmise the answer. _

"_No," she whispered, closing her eyes. "No, I don't deny it." _


	9. Chapter 8

**Ultra A/N:**

This is an alternate retelling of _Bridging the Gap. _It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.

**Chapter 8: Revelations**

**A/N:**

Sawajiri might very well be the craziest, most impulsive character I've ever written or imagined, and if there's an actual person like her, I'd love for us to meet one day. Despite her glaringly obvious personality issues, I really like her and her _Ojousama complex._ In an attempt to spread my fondest for this girl, I've tried to somehow rationalize the sketchiness of her motives. After this, you will probably either love her or hate her – if I manage to do my job right! *crosses fingers* But maybe, you'll just end up thinking she's nuts. Which she totally is.

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own _La Corda d'Oro_; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.

**Previously: **

**Chapter 7: Party People**

_Tsukimori's eyes narrowed. _

"_Do you know-" _

"_Len? There you are." _

_A gorgeous young woman strode forward, taking Tsukimori's arm. She was wearing a beautiful sapphire gown and pearl jewelry, her hair pinned to her head in a bun. Kahoko stared. It can't be. _

_Sawajiri Erika had come to the party looking just like her. _

**Chapter 8: Revelations**

The two women stared at each other.

Kahoko thought Erika looked simply breathtaking. Although they basically had the same appearance, there was something about Sawajiri Erika's manner of carrying herself that made her look sophisticated, whereas Kahoko only looked beautiful. Her straight back, poised chin and graceful stance gave her an aura of strength, a sense of confidence that Kahoko could only dream of achieving.

Erika smiled.

"Good evening, Kaho-senpai," she greeted warmly, her voice free from its usual childishness. "This is an awkward dilemma to get into, isn't it?"

"You two know each other?" Tsukimori asked, looking back and forth between the two women. "And since when have you been on first-name basis?"

Erika was spared the trouble of answering the question by Tsuchiura Ryoutaro's arrival.

"What's going on here?" he asked in a low voice, scanning the group before him, his eyes briefly meeting Tsukimori's. "You're attracting everyone's attention. Can't you talk about this someplace else? And why-"

He left his question unfinished as he looked between Kahoko and Erika, absorbing the gravity of the situation.

"Oh, let them stare," Erika said offhandedly. "I believe that was your intention from the very beginning, right, Azuma?"

"Erika," Tsukimori warned, as Yunoki Azuma's eyes narrowed in a glare.

"Actually, I believe it was yours, Erika," he replied. "Coming here in a dress like Hino-san's. What were you thinking?"

"Are you accusing me of being a copy cat?" Erika asked, raising an eyebrow. "As you very well know, I was one of the earliest guests to this party. If someone here deserves to be called a copy cat, it's certainly not me."

She looked at Kahoko, who flustered visibly.

"Don't talk to Kaho-chan like that," Hihara said, defending his date. "Kaho-chan would never do something like this. She didn't even want to come tonight! I mean-"

Kahoko blushed further as she felt five pairs of eyes stare at her. At that moment, all she wanted to do was get as far away from that place as possible, never seeing Tsukimori or Erika ever again. Given that she didn't copy Erika's outfit, at least not intentionally, it only meant either Erika copied _her _outfit or the whole fiasco was sheer coincidence. The chances of two people coming to a party looking _exactly _alike, however, were slim. And Kahoko couldn't think of any reason behind Erika copying her outfit aside from the intention of embarrassing her in front of Yunoki's guests, not to mention, the media.

Or maybe… in front of Len?

"What's going on here?" a voice repeated Tsuchiura's question earlier, distracting Kahoko. They all turned and saw a black haired man in a sleek black tuxedo walking towards them, a frown on his face.

It was Tsukimori's friend, the man who had saved her when she collapsed at the konbini.

"It's nothing, Makoto-kun," Erika said, smiling serenely. "We're just discussing an issue we have here." At this, she looked at Kahoko again. Takishima followed her gaze.

"Oh, it's you," he said, a bit surprised. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. Feeling better?"

Hihara and Yunoki looked from Takishima to Kahoko.

"Yes, thank you," Kahoko replied, smiling faintly. "Thanks for saving me that day."

"No problem," he acknowledged curtly. "Why are you wearing the same thing as Erika?"

"Um," Kahoko couldn't explain either.

_You see, I actually didn't pick this dress. Yunoki-senpai's professional makeover team chose it for me to wear tonight, so I wouldn't look so bad beside Kazuki. Oh, and that holds only if Erika is to be believed. The real question you should be asking is, why is Erika wearing the same thing as I am? And why does she look like she's not at all shocked to see me dressed like a clone of her?_

Even in her head the words sounded insane.

"Believe it or not," Kahoko replied instead, "I didn't come here intending to look like anyone. If I were given the chance to impersonate anyone in this room, I'd come dressed as a waitress. That way no one would notice me, and I could enjoy the party in peace."

Tsuchiura actually smiled. Hihara stared at Kahoko, eyes wide.

"Although this situation is completely unprecedented," she said, fully aware that even the guests were listening to her now, "I suggest we continue to enjoy tonight's event like nothing's wrong. Let's stop arguing over who copied whose outfit, and just pretend that this is all a coincidence. I certainly don't want to go through the bother of changing clothes. Do you, Erika-san?"

Erika considered her question, face impassive.

"No, I daresay not," Erika said, smirking. "In all honestly, I find this situation quite fascinating. What do you say we take full advantage of it?"

She let go of Tsukimori's arm and looked around. Spotting a nearby reporter taking stolen pictures of the commotion, she asked him, "You there, would you like to get an exclusive picture of us?"

The man rushed forward eagerly as Kahoko and Erika stood side by side, waiting for their photos to be taken. Not wanting to be left behind, the other reporters swarmed after him, and a full blown photo opportunity took place.

As camera lights flashed in their faces, Kahoko heard Erika whisper, "Nice save, Kaho-senpai. That was rather brave of you."

Kahoko didn't reply. She didn't know what to think. But she did want to get to the bottom of this, despite what she said earlier.

"Meet me at the rooftop by ten."

Kahoko looked at Erika, surprised. She was smiling at the cameramen, apologizing, saying her date was waiting for her. Kahoko watched as she went to stand beside Tsukimori Len, holding onto his arm. The camera lights flashed.

Swallowing the painful lump in her throat, Kahoko plastered a smile onto her face as she walked over to her friends. Yunoki was staring at her, his eyes glittering with some sort of suppressed emotion. Hihara looked at her with concern, squeezing her hand and interpreting her teary-eyed expression as something caused by extreme embarrassment.

Tsuchiura, however, knew the reason behind her anguish. Meeting her eyes, he smiled sadly and said,

"At least you look good."

XXX

Surprisingly, Kahoko found herself enjoying the rest of the party. After finding her friends – as it turned out, they were interviewing the party caterer under Nao's insistence – she found herself unwinding, laughing at Hihara and Nami's jokes, teasing Nao about Pierre-san and her extensive knowledge about his restaurant's layout, egging Mio on as she tried to pluck up enough courage to apologize to the grey-haired man she had puked on in the konbini.

"Oh my God," Mio moaned, seeing the rather attractive male they had pointed out to her. "I puked on a cutie, of all sorts."

"He's all right," Nao commented, sizing the stranger up. "A bit too boy-next-door, but he'll do."

"I think his name is Sato," Tsuchiura recalled. "That's what Tsukimori called him anyway, you know, after you three passed out-"

"You don't mean Sato Kyoushiro?" Nami exclaimed, so loudly that the others had to shush her. "I've read all about him! He's supposed to be a musical prodigy; he plays the cello, I think. He entered a local competition, and because he did so well, one of the judges offered him a scholarship in Prague. And he was only in grade school then!"

Mio groaned as they all laughed at her obvious despair.

"Come on," Nao said, smiling as she took Mio's arm. "I'll help you apologize to him."

As she watched her friends approach Sato, Kahoko thought about what Nami had just told them,

_He's supposed to be a musical prodigy…_

So this was the crowd Tsukimori Len now hung out with. That meant, somehow, Erika was an extremely gifted musician, too.

"What time is it?" she asked Tsuchiura, taking her eyes of Mio, who was now bowing low to a blushing Sato Kyoushiro.

"It's 10:05."

"Oh, I have to go somewhere," Kahoko said, panicking. She was late.

"Where are you going?" Nami asked, frowning.

"Bathroom," Kahoko lied.

"I'll come with you-"

"No, it's okay," Kahoko said, smiling. "I'll be back in a few, Kazuki," she said, smiling at her date. He nodded, smiling back at her.

Quickly and as unobtrusively as possible, Kahoko slipped out of the room and stepped into an elevator. Backing up against the cold wall, Kahoko sighed as the metal doors closed before her.

She had always known Sawajiri Erika to be a suspicious person – that much was true. The younger woman was too used to getting what she wanted, unabashedly using her charm to influence people, that Kahoko never felt relaxed when she was around. But truth be told, Kahoko didn't want to find out that Erika was as heartless as Yunoki painted her to be. She wanted to believe that Erika wouldn't go so low as to play such mean tricks on her just to get Tsukimori's attention.

Speaking of Tsukimori, Kahoko wondered why the man was so patient with Erika. He was not the type to be particularly kind to just anyone; in fact, he wasn't known to be kind to anyone at all. Perhaps he had changed over the six years they had not seen each other. Perhaps he loved Erika. Whatever the reason behind his attachment to Sawajiri Erika was, Kahoko wanted to know. Partly because she wanted to find out if he had any feelings for Erika, and partly because she wanted to know if Erika was kind enough for someone like Tsukimori Len to like her.

The elevator came to a stop, the metal doors opening in front of her. She had arrived at the topmost floor, and now she had to climb up to the rooftop using the stairs.

Her hand clutching the metal railing of the stairs for support, Kahoko vowed she would get all the answers she needed by tonight. Somehow, she would force Erika to tell her the truth – behind her return to Japan, behind her sudden attachment to Kahoko, behind her relationship with Len. Frowning at the thought of trying to force the truth out of potentially the most barefaced liar she would ever meet, Kahoko paused at the door to the rooftop.

She would force Erika to tell her the truth. No matter the cost.

Pushing the door open, Kahoko walked into the rooftop, greeted by the sight of Sawajiri Erika's back to her as the other woman stared at the city below. She stepped forward, gently closing the door behind her and making as little noise as possible, when suddenly, she jumped at the sound of Erika's voice breaking the stillness of the night.

"Did you know Yunoki Tower is one of the tallest buildings in all of Tokyo?" Erika told her, thoughtful. "It's also considered one of the most beautiful examples of modern architecture in the city. Although I don't particularly admire Azuma's other qualities," she paused, apparently lost in thought, "I have to admit he's got taste."

She turned around, seeing Kahoko staring at her from the middle of the dark rooftop.

"Come forward, Kaho-senpai," she invited, laughing. "I'm not going to push you off the building. That's a bit too inelegant for my style."

Kahoko remained standing where she was, looking at Erika in silence.

Erika sighed.

"Kaho-senpai, do you mind telling me a story?" she requested in typical singsong fashion. "I want to hear about your first date with Len, what was it like?"

Kahoko stepped forward, stopping to stand beside Erika.

"It was a disaster," she said, although she was smiling.

"That's all you have to say about it?" Erika asked, frowning slightly. "What did you do?"

Kahoko glanced at Erika, who was waiting for her to narrate. Although she had promised herself that she would uncover the truth tonight, at that moment, she found herself unable to ask Erika the question that burned at the back of her mind.

Instead, she began to say,

**A/N: **I never wrote their first date.

"Did you copy my outfit for tonight?" Kahoko asked outright. There was no point beating around the bush any longer.

Erika considered the question, her face half hidden in the moonlight.

"Yes, I did," she said. "Do you want to know why?" She looked at Kahoko, but the other woman was only staring at her with wide, unbelieving eyes. "It's my way of telling Azuma that I'm not planning to use you against him. I want you for myself."

"I-I don't understand…"

Erika shrugged, turning to face the city lights again. "It's pretty complicated actually," she admitted. "Sometimes I even wonder why I'm doing it. Still, the fact of the matter is… I lied to you, Kaho-senpai. I didn't come here for your help. I came here to ruin you once and for all."

She paused. With her back turned to Kahoko, she said, "Like I told you, Azuma thinks I'm planning to use you to come between our possible engagement. You asked before why he thinks that way. It's because-"

She bit her lip.

"You know what, forget I said anything," Erika said, waving her arms around. "It's not my secret to tell. But you should know that you are _very_ special to Azuma, more than he cares to admit."

Erika sighed.

"To be honest, I don't understand why all these guys flock around you. True, you're sweet and charming, and you even have a streak of stupidity that turns you into a damsel in distress during critical situations, but so what? There are plenty of other girls out there with the same set of qualities, and they don't have knights in shining armors saving them all the time."

She fixed a beady eye on Kahoko.

"Don't think I'm bitter, Kaho-senpai," Erika said. "I don't care that you're a guy magnet, but I do care that you're attracting even Len."

"I-I've told you," Kahoko began to explain. "There's nothing going on between-"

"That's what you think," Erika interrupted smoothly, smirking. "I happen to know that he still thinks of that incident four years ago. When you stood him up, remember?"

Kahoko blanched.

"In case you don't know why he asked you to wait two years, not one or three or four, I'll tell you why," Erika said. "Every two years, in the month of February, the Linden International Music Festival is held in Prague. In case you don't know, it's regarded as the most rigorous and prestigious competition for classical musicians under the age of 30, its categories ranging from orchestra to composition. Len didn't go to Vienna just to study music. He went there with the goal of competing in Linden… and winning it for you."

Erika began to pace.

"As the whole world well knows, he won first prize for violin at the 119th Linden fest, the first Asian ever to do so," she said. "Ecstatic at his success, he came home, finally feeling as though he was good enough to ask for your hand in marriage."

At this, Erika rolled her eyes.

"Imagine his surprise when you didn't turn up as promised. At first, he was worried. He kept coming back to that spot for days, hoping you'd turn up. But then days turned into weeks, and finally, he realized something was wrong."

"It was then that he decided to look for you, Kaho-senpai."

The entire time, Kahoko had been staring at her fingers, which were shaking at the things she heard. As Erika mentioned her name, however, her head snapped up, and she met the other woman's gaze.

"With a little help, he found out that the last time any of your friends had seen you face to face was two years before that time, right after your high school graduation. Since then, the most anybody heard from you was an email once every few months, most of which didn't even contain information regarding your whereabouts. Enlisting the help of a private investigator, Len found out that the last witness to see you in Yokohama saw you getting onboard a train with a man."

Erika met Kahoko's gaze.

"Daidouji Kanata," she intoned slowly. "Does the name sound familiar?"

"H-how did you…?"

"It wasn't me who found out; it was Len," Erika said. "I really am surprised by that guy. Upon realizing the possibility of you leaving him for another man, he still searched for you, ending up in Saga-ken, in a little town whose name I can't even remember. He searched around a bit, asking the villagers, and coming up with the conclusion that for two years, you cohabited with a local potter named Daidouji Kanata in a secluded cottage by the mountains."

She said all this offhandedly, and the face that was turned to Kahoko was calm. Her eyes, however, burned with raw hate.

"Do you deny it?"

Just by looking at Kahoko's face, stained by tear tracts and crumpled in anguish, one could surmise the answer.

"No," she whispered, closing her eyes. "No, I don't deny it."

With a triumphant look, Erika crossed her arms and stared at the city lights.

"Len thought so, too. That's why he went back to Vienna and concentrated on his music. I was a first year then, in the same college as him, and as I've said before, I didn't like him much. I taunted him, and bullied him, and was basically downright mean to him just because he never fought back. Then one day, Makoto took me aside and told me to just 'quit it' because the guy was 'heartbroken'. And then he told me everything he knew about you, the girl who broke the great Tsukimori Len's heart and got away with it."

Erika's gaze was lost, far away, the city lights reflected in her eyes.

"At that moment, I realized it was my life's mission to make him happy," she whispered, her eyes glazed. "The tragedy was, eventually, I fell in love with him. Worse, I knew he would never fall in love with me, because he was still in love with you. I didn't mind. I told him I'd wait. And he would just smile and tell me I was wasting my time. But I waited like I said I would, never pressuring him, at the back of my mind cursing you, the unknown girl who had caused him so much pain… He never told me or Makoto your name, you know. I guess he knew we'd hunt you down and flay you alive the moment we found out…"

"And then one day!" Erika laughed, a harsh sound that was full of bitter resentment. "Oribe, Hinata and Sato were in town; Oribe and Hinata study in Paris, Sato studies in Prague. We were hanging out in Takishima's house, just bumming around. Sato, being an otaku, had recently discovered a new anime series to rave about. Because we were all homesick and had nothing in particular to do anyway, we ended up watching it. As you can guess, it was _Wanted Perfect Orchestra_."

"For the five of us who had never seen the show before, its score seemed amazingly captivating. Even the insert songs and the opening and ending themes were good. We all found ourselves raving about it, and then Sato dropped the bomb. He said that although the songs were done by different performers, they were all written by the same person. Apparently, this show was only her second one, but she was already getting the attention of both the Japanese public and the music circle. The most amazing thing about the composer, Sato said, was that she kept mostly to herself. Not once had she been interviewed in print or in television, and she didn't even have a proper talent agency. The enigma's name was Hino Kahoko."

Kahoko's tears had dried up. She found herself staring at Erika, who was looking at the city lights with unseeing eyes.

"The moment that glass of wine dropped from Len's hand, we knew it was you. I confronted Len about it, because obviously, he had not moved on at all. And you know what he said? He asked me to be his girlfriend." For some reason Erika looked angry. "At the most ill-timed, most inappropriate moment, he asked me to go out with him. I mean, I was ready to be the rebound girl but- Wouldn't you get mad at that? He was obviously just forcing himself to like me, and it hurt him more than it hurt me."

"It was then that I got sick and tired of it all," Erika said, closing her eyes. "I realized that in the end, it would have to be either you or me, and prolonging the agony didn't help any of us. Eventually, the two of you would meet again, and he'd have to decide if he still wants to chase after you or not. Being impatient," at this, she smiled at Kahoko, "I wanted to rush things a bit. So I came here before he did, and met you before he could."

"I told myself that I had a mission, and that was to test whether you're deserving of Len or not. I would pretend to ask for your help in getting Len to like me, and I'd judge you based on your answer. If you fought for him, I would help you get him back. If you didn't, I would fight you."

"I hope you're beginning to understand why I'm acting like this right now," she said, her gaze hardening. "Not once did you even show a sign that you were willing to fight for him. You just did everything I told you to do! You didn't even complain, even though it was so obvious that you're still in love with him!"

"And you know what's worse?" Erika was becoming agitated, and it showed. "The fact that you flit from one guy to the next, pretending to be an innocent little victim all the time when everything is _your _fault!"

She closed her eyes as though seeing Kahoko made her blood boil. "Len doesn't deserve you. So you know what? I'm keeping him for myself. It's true he doesn't love me, but," she shrugged, as though it didn't matter, "I never went all out in pursuing him anyway. I was always just waiting for him to move on, never forcing him to like me. But this time, I'm going to fight for him."

Erika looked at Kahoko, challenging her. "I'm giving you one last shot at Tsukimori Len. I'm going to win him, but I plan to win him fair and square. That's why," she paused, thinking, "you need Yunoki Azuma. You're too weak an opponent to fight against me, so you need him to back you up. Wearing the same thing you wore today… it was my way of telling him I hated you." She smiled. "I'm pretty sure he got the message."

There was silence between the two women as their minds drifted to their own thoughts. Then, suddenly, Erika stretched noisily, and with a smile, told Kahoko, "Aren't you going down yet? I'm pretty sure they're looking all over for you right now. That Hihara," she said with a smile, shaking her head. "Are you coming then?"

But Kahoko did not answer. She was looking at the city lights with a lost look on her face, as though she was tired of the day's events and she just wanted to rest.

Taking Kahoko's silence as a no, Erika began to walk away. She stopped midway through the rooftop, however, when a voice called her name,

"Erika-san," Kahoko whispered. "I know I've caused you and Len much pain. And… I completely agree with you when you said you can take care of him better than I'll ever be able to. That's why-"

Erika whirled around just in time to see Kahoko bowing low to her.

"I leave Len to you," she said. "I refuse to fight you for his sake. Please," she begged, her voice breaking, "take care of him."

Erika stood rooted to the spot for a moment. Then, with a small smile, she said,

"You disgust me, Hino Kahoko."

She opened the rooftop door, and stepped into the stairway, dimly aware of a shadow that had fallen to the ground. Walking down, Erika saw that someone blocked her path, his figure casting a looming shadow on her.

Yunoki Azuma sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"You should never try to explain things when you're mad, Erika," he said softly, his voice tinged with irritation. "I got lost halfway through your story, and I'm supposed to be the smartest one in the family."

Erika smiled.

"I know, and I'm _really _sorry," Erika said, clapping her hands together and bowing consecutively. "It's just that I get so emotional while talking about Len. And explaining his actions to that _girl_ - of all people!"

She looked like she was resisting the urge to pull her hair.

Yunoki only stared at her.

"Allow me to clarify a few things," he said. "You came back to Japan with the intention of testing Hino-san to see if she deserves Tsukimori. Based on your assessment, she failed."

"Miserably, yes."

"So now, you're going to force Tsukimori to choose between the two of you by fighting against Hino-san?"

"That's the plan, yes."

"If you win, she backs off-"

"That's right."

"If she wins, you back off-"

"That's right as well."

"And for this, hm, let's call it a 'showdown', you want me to assist Hino-san because you think she can't fight you on her own?"

"Yes, will you help her then?"

"That's beside the point," Yunoki told her, waving her question aside. "The fact of the matter is, Hino-san has already given up. She refuses to go against you, so you're free to take Tsukimori for yourself."

"Haven't you been listening?" Erika berated impatiently. "I want to win him fair and square. I'm going to make that girl fight for Len, whether she wants to or not, and then I'm going to trounce her."

"And you planned all this knowing completely that Tsukimori and Hino are still in love with each other?"

"They don't want to admit it," Erika shrugged. "Love is impotent unless manifested."

"You realize you're on the losing end here-"

"Nuh-uh," Erika said, wagging a finger. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. Trust me, Azuma. I will make Tsukimori Len fall in love with me."

Yunoki stared at her.

"This is the worst plan I have ever heard of," Yunoki said, covering his eyes with his hand. "I'm afraid you have gone insane."

Erika only laughed.

"What about it, Azuma?" she patted his arm playfully. "Aren't we all fools in love and war? Besides," she added sadly. "It's time for him to make a decision."

Yunoki sighed.

"I have a question," he said, his voice pained. "I have known you for a long time, and I know nothing misses you. Did you know that Tsukimori Len would return to Japan just right after you would?"

"No, that was completely unexpected," she admitted. "Although I must admit it's a welcome surprise. It makes things much easier."

"Having said that, I take it to mean that your goal is to cause as much chaos as possible?"

"Precisely. Completely spot-on, Azuma."

Yunoki looked at her smiling face, not fooled by the disguise.

"You will only end up hurting yourself," he told her.

Erika sighed deeply.

"Actually, I intend to have a lot of fun," she told him, smiling even wider. "And I'm sure you'll enjoy what I've planned as well. So what do you say, Azuma? Will you help Kaho-senpai?"

"You know I don't have a choice," Yunoki said dejectedly. "If I refuse you'll just find a way to get me to do it, right?"

Erika actually laughed.

"You know me very well, Azuma," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. Sobering up, she smiled at him one last time. "I don't mean to boss you around or anything, but I think you should check up on Kaho-senpai."

"I think I should wait for her to calm down," Yunoki said, looking at the rooftop door.

"Actually, I'm worried she'll jump off the building," Erika said, walking past Yunoki. "It seems I've really upset her…"

Yunoki only scowled. When she was well out of earshot, he said,

"We all know she's not the suicidal one."

**A/N: **

Ah. That sucked. I finished the whole dialogue in one night, a feat for me, but that made it looked so messed up. I'm going to try to repair it some more, checking on it from time to time. To be honest, my real problem is not describing what's happening. It's deciding what Sawajiri plans to do. This story is turning really nuts. Then again, it does come with a warning that says Insanity Inside. Please don't hurl tomatoes at me. *hides*


End file.
